DOMINANT- CHORD 


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EDWARD^KIMBALL 


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THE  DOMINANT  CHORD 


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Alice  Huntington 


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THE    DOMINANT 
CHORD 

BY 
EDWARD   KIMBALL 


ll 


With  a  frontispiece  in  full  colour 
from  a  painting  hy 


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WILLIAM  BUNTING 


HI 


BOSTON  -^^  L.  C.  PAGE    & 
COIVIPANY  -^^  MDCCCCXII 


Copyright,  1911,  by 
The  Fkank  A.  Munsey  Compakt 

Copyright,  1912 

By  L.  C.  Page  &  Company 
(ihcobpobatkd) 

AU  rights  reserved 


First  Impression,  March,  1912 
Second  Impression,  April,  1912 


Eleetrotyptd  and  Printed  by 
THE  COLONIAL  PRESS 
C.  H.  Simonds  <t  Co.,  Boston,  U.S.A. 


To  Her 


2136664 


CONTENTS 


I.  A  Mysterious  Chauffeur    . 

II.  A  Strange  Awakening 

III.  Studying  the  Situation 

IV.  An  Encounter  on  the  High  Seas 
V.  The  Japanese  Dagger   . 

VI.  A  Night  of  Horror 

VII.  A  Flag  of  Truce     . 

VIII.  A  Passage  at  Arms 

IX.  A  Discovery  and  an  Adventure 

X.  Explanations     .... 

XI.  A  Moment  of  Madness 

XII.  A  Declaration  of  War 

XIII.  A  Strange  Hunting 

XIV.  The  Powers  op  Omnium 
XV.  A  Startling  Encounter 

XVI.  The  Battle  on  the  Beach  . 

XVII.  Prisoners    .*      . 

XVIII.  The  Fate  of  the  Pretty  Polly 

XIX.  Aladdin's  Palace     . 

XX.  The  Magic  of  the  Moon     , 

XXI.  A  Surprise  and  a  Race 

XXII.  At  War  with  Herself  . 

XXIII.  A  Desperate  Struggle  . 

XXIV.  In  the  Watches  of  the  Night 
XXV.  The  Strongest  Thing    . 


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THE 

DOMINANT  CHORD 


CHAPTER   I 

A   MYSTERIOUS   CHAUFFEUB 

Unquestionably  Alice  Huntington  was 
angry.  The  sensitive  under  lip  tightly- 
clenched  between  two  rows  of  white,  even 
teeth,  and  the  small  red  spot  that  glowed 
in  her  usually  pallid  cheek,  were  storm  sig- 
nals which  her  friends  had  long  since  learned 
to  know  and  recognize  as  involving  the  im- 
mediate necessity  of  a  change  of  course,  the 
shortening  of  sail,  and  usually  a  precipitate 
run  for  the  nearest  port  of  shelter. 

As  she  stood  poised  upon  the  topmost  step 

of  the  marble  staircase  which  led  down  into 

the  foyer,  her  opera  cloak  gathered  loosely 

about  her  tall,  graceful  figure,  and  her  proud 

features  compressed  in  an  expression  of  in- 

1 


The  Dominant  Chord 


ward  and  suppressed  annoyance,  she  in  all 
verity  looked  the  haughty  aristocrat  which 
the  sensational  journals,  that  persistently 
and  insistently  chronicled  her  goings  and 
comings,  delighted  to  depict  her. 

Her  appearance  in  the  foyer  at  once  in- 
jected a  spirit  of  life  and  activity  into  the 
attaches.  The  second  act  was  drawing  to  its 
close  and  the  lobbies  were  deserted  by  all, 
save  a  few  curious  loungers.  To  the  attend- 
ant who  approached,  inquiring  if  she  wished 
her  car  called,  she  gave  a  preoccupied  nod  of 
assent,  and  soon  the  signal  for  the  Hunting- 
ton equipage  went  echoing  down  the  long 
line  of  broughams,  automobiles  and  theatre 
busses  which  stretched  along  Broadway,  and 
whose  various  ramifications  were  lost  in  the 
semi-darkness  of  the  side  streets  which  led 
into  that  thoroughfare. 

After  a  few  moments,  which  must  have 
seemed  unnecessarily  long  to  the  lady  in 
waiting,  a  big,  black  automobile  shot  out  of 
the  darkness  and  slid  smoothly  and  noise- 
lessly up  to  the  entrance.  The  door  was 
thrown  open  by  an  attendant.     The  usual 


A  Mysterious  Chauffeur 


crowd  of  curious  onlookers  pressed  closer. 
There  was  a  slam,  a  cry  of  '*  All  right!  " 
and  the  car,  with  its  burden  of  haughty  fem- 
ininity, rolled  away  into  the  darkness. 

' '  Henri !  ' '  The  tense  voice  which  vi- 
brated through  the  speaking  tube  was  evi- 
dently seeking  an  outlet  for  some  inward 
emotion.  '*  Is  it  absolutely  necessary  that 
you  keep  me  standing  so  long  in  a  public 
place  to  be  stared  and  gawked  at  by  every- 
body? I  wish  in  future  when  your  number 
is  called  you  would  be  more  prompt  in  re- 
sponding. You  may  take  me  home  and 
return  afterwards  for  the  rest  of  the  party.'* 

The  chauffeur  did  not  seem  to  be  greatly 
disturbed  by  this  volley  of  hot  shot  poured 
into  his  ear,  but  probably  to  protect  himself 
from  a  further  broadside,  before  turning 
back  to  the  steering  wheel,  a  close  observer 
might  have  seen  him  deftly  insert  a  plug  of 
what  seemed  to  be  absorbent  cotton  into  the 
bell  mouth  of  the  voice  tube.  This  was  an 
excellent  device  to  prevent  a  repetition  of 
the  storm,  and  indicated  originality  and  im- 
agination on  the  part  of  the  chauffeur;   but 


The  Dominant  Chord 


the  utility  of  the  small  rubber  tube  to  which 
this  plug  was  attached,  and  whose  other  end 
now  rested  securely  between  the  lips  of  the 
aforesaid  individual,  was  not  so  apparent. 

To  insure  a  proper  understanding  of  what 
subsequently  took  place,  it  may  be  as  well 
at  this  point  to  state  that  the  other  end  of 
the  voice  tube  passed  through  the  centre  of 
a  heavy,  braided  rope,  and  terminated  in,  and 
was  concealed  by,  a  large  silken  tassel  which 
depended  within  easy  reach  of  the  occupant 
of  the  car. 

Having  vented  a  portion  of  her  ill  humour 
on  the  unfortunate  chauffeur,  the  heiress  to 
the  Huntington  millions  leaned  back  among 
the  cushions  and  gave  herself  up  to  her  more 
or  less  pleasant  reflections.  It  had  been  a 
detestable  evening.  The  supercritical  and 
cynical  comments  of  the  Duke  and  his  cease- 
less flow  of  trivial  small  talk  had  grated  on 
her  nerves,  already  frayed  and  jangled  by 
the  innumerable  irritations  incident  to  the 
preparation  for  a  wedding  of  international 
importance,  and  for  the  first  time  she  won- 
dered dreamily  whether  the  making  of  this 


A  Mysterious  Chauffeur 


brilliant  match,  which  would  install  her  as 
on^  of  the  first  ladies  of  Europe,  and  make 
her  the  envy  of  every  marriageable  girl  in 
her  set,  was  really  worth  the  price  which  she 
was  paying  for  it. 

The  opera  had  been  '*  Siegfried,"  her 
favourite  in  the  Wagner  group,  and  one 
which  her  artistic  temperament  demanded 
that  she  be  allowed  to  enjoy  undisturbed. 
She  had  borne  with  the  jangling  and  dis- 
cordant elements  in  her  box  party  until 
about  the  end  of  the  second  act,  when  the 
tension  had  suddenly  become  too  great. 
Something  snapped.  In  the  midst  of  the 
weird  and  magic  strains  of  the  fire  music 
she  rose  suddenly,  and  without  a  word  of 
explanation  precipitately  fled. 

She  wondered  idly  whether  her  party  had 
begun  to  miss  her  yet.  She  wondered 
whether  the  Duke  really  cared  enough  about 
her  to  look  for  her;  she  wondered  if  she 
cared  whether  he  did  or  not. 

The  smooth,  easy  swaying  of  the  car  was 
beginning  to  exercise  a  soothing  influence  on 
her.    Her  eyelids  seemed  to  be  oppressed  by 


6  The  Dominant  Chord 

an  unwonted  heaviness.  The  powerful  and 
pervasive  odour  of  the  tuberoses  in  the 
bouquet  holder  in  front  of  her  seemed  to 
load  the  atmosphere  with  a  heaviness  that 
was  almost  palpable.  The  automobile 
skidded  easily  around  a  corner  into  a  cross 
street,  throwing  her  gently  towards  the  op- 
posite side  of  the  car.  She  straightened 
herself  up  languidly  and  indifferently  in  her 
seat.  The  sense  of  oppression  on  her  bosom 
increased;  a  sweet  and  pungent  odour  filled 
her  nostrils.  The  long,  dark  lashes  which 
veiled  her  eyes  sagged  lower  and  lower 
toward  the  waiting  cheeks.  With  a  deter- 
mined effort  she  tried  to  throw  off  the  feel- 
ing of  drowsiness  which  was  overpowering 
her,  but  without  success.. 

The  automobile  slewed  swiftly  into  Fifth 
Avenue,  throwing  her  back  into  the  corner 
of  the  seat.  This  time  she  made  no  effort 
to  recover  herself.  Her  head  drooped  for- 
ward ;  her  whole  body  relaxed,  and,  with  her 
face  pressed  against  the  silken  tassel  of  the 
voice  tube,  she  slept. 

To  one  acquainted  with  the  regime  of  the 


A  Mysterious  Chauffeur 


Huntington  establishment,  the  further  move- 
ments of  the  chauffeur  might  have  awakened 
suspicion.  Satisfying  himself  by  a  hasty, 
backward  glance  into  the  interior  of  the  car 
that  its  movements  had  ceased  to  have  any 
immediate  interest  for  its  occupant,  the  indi- 
vidual at  the  steering  wheel  turned  on  more 
power  and  shot  into  another  cross  street 
leading  over  to  the  east  side. 

A  slight  movement  among  the  pile  of  furs 
at  his  feet  attracted  his  attention,  but  a  hasty 
examination  apparently  reassured  him,  for 
he  turned  back  to  the  steering  wheel  and 
gave  it  no  further  notice.  The  apparatus 
which  had  stopped  up  the  speaking  tube 
seemed  to  have  fulfilled  its  purpose,  for  it 
was  now  withdrawn  and  dropped  skilfully 
down  a  catch-basin  in  passing. 

Swinging  around  another  corner,  the  big 
machine  made  its  way  down  town  at  a  speed 
which  would  certainly  have  proved  trouble- 
some to  a  car  bearing  any  other  number. 
The  burly,  blue-coated  guardian  of  the  peace, 
who  was  holding  the  crossing  as  boldly  and 
impressively  as  Horatio  of  old  had  held  the 


8  The  Dominant  Chord 

bridge  over  the  Tiber,  saw  it  bearing  down 
on  him  like  an  express  train,  and  instead  of 
arresting  its  progress  forthwith,  and  thereby 
depriving  the  morning  papers  of  the  sensa- 
tion of  the  season,  he  watched  it  shoot  by 
him  like  a  rocket,  and  disappear  down  the 
avenue  in  a  clond  of  dust,  without  other  evi- 
dence of  interest  than  a  benign  and  tolerant 
smile. 

General  Huntington's  chauffeur,  for  per- 
tinent and  obvious  reasons,  made  it  his  busi- 
ness to  be  on  good  terms  with  most  of  the 
**  motor  cops  "  and  crossing  officers  of  the 
metropolis,  and  the  aforesaid  gentlemen  like- 
wise, for  obvious  and  satisfactory  reasons, 
were  quite  willing  to  be  on  good  terms  with 
General  Huntington's  chauffeur.  Not  the 
least  of  these  reasons  was  the  generally 
known  fact  that  the  General's  sideboard  con- 
tained the  finest  products  of  Havana  to  be 
found  in  all  the  length  and  breadth  of  the 
city,  and  the  wrappers  which  protected  these 
veritable  triumphs  of  art  frequently  proved 
to  be  of  paper  which  was  easily  negotiable 
in  the  marts  of  commerce  and  elsewhere. 


A  Mysterious  Chaufifeur  9 

Thanks  to  this  happy  combination  of  cir- 
cumstances and  the  discretion  of  the  driver, 
the  car  made  its  way  rapidly  and  without 
interruption  down  into  the  lower  part  of  the 
city,  and  after  traversing  several  deserted 
streets  stopped  before  a  large  warehouse 
and  pier  on  the  lower  waterfront. 

The  chauffeur  now  alighted,  and  from  be- 
neath the  pile  of  furs  at  his  feet  extracted 
an  individual  who,  so  far  as  livery,  leather 
cap  and  automobile  mask  were  concerned, 
might  have  been  his  twin  brother.  This  new 
actor  in  the  scene  (if  one  whose  part  seemed 
to  be  a  purely  passive  one  can  be  called  an 
actor)  he  propped  up  into  the  seat  he  had 
just  vacated.  Next,  taking  a  key  from  his 
pocket,  he  unlocked  a  small  door  which  gave 
access  to  a  narrow  passageway  running 
down  to  the  pier  end  between  the  walls  of 
the  warehouse  and  the  edge  of  the  wharf. 

There  were  no  vessels  tied  up  in  the  slip, 
and  the  whole  place  appeared  deserted. 
This  aspect  of  affairs  seemed  to  be  satisfac- 
tory to  the  party  most  concerned,  for  he 
returned  quickly  to  the  car,  and,  throwing 


10  The  Dominant  Chord 

open  the  door,  gathered  up  the  unconscious 
form  of  the  occupant,  still  wrapped  in  the 
voluminous  folds  of  her  opera  cloak,  and 
drew  her  forth  into  the  night. 

The  new  driver  of  the  car  meanwhile 
seemed  to  be  completely  unconscious  of  these 
movements.  Perhaps  the  half  tumbler  of 
French  brandy,  which  had  been  superim- 
posed upon  an  already  extensive  and  varied 
collection  of  liquid  refreshments,  had  tended 
to  discourage  an  immediate  and  vivid  inter- 
est in  passing  events. 

His  predecessor  gave  him  no  further  at- 
tention, but,  carefully  locking  the  gate  be- 
hind him,  made  his  way  with  his  burden 
down  the  pier  to  where  a  ladder,  made  of 
heavy  cleats  spiked  to  the  piling,  led  down 
to  the  water.  To  descend  this,  burdened  as 
he  was,  was  a  task  which  required  no  little 
strength  and  adroitness,  but  it  was  success- 
fully accomplished,  and  as  the  stranger 
reached  the  lowermost  cleat  an  electric 
launch  slipped  noiselessly  out  from  the  inky 
blackness  under  the  pier  and  came  nosing 
her  way  up  to  the  ladder.    To  deposit  his 


A  Mysterious  Chauffeur  11 

burden  in  the  bottom  of  the  boat  and  take  his 
place  at  the  wheel  was  the  work  of  a  mo- 
ment. 

As  the  launch  shot  out  of  the  slip  into  the 
stream  a  hoarse  hail  came  over  the  water 
from  a  harbour  patrol  boat,  but  with  an 
astonishing  burst  of  speed  the  little  craft 
darted  forward,  and,  before  the  guardians 
of  the  waterfront  could  turn  their  boat  in 
pursuit,  she  had  already  disappeared  among 
the  labyrinth  of  shadows  of  the  shipping 
lying  in  the  stream. 


CHAPTEE   II 

A   STRANGE   AWAKENING 

When  Alice  Huntington  opened  her  eyes 
the  next  morning  she  was  immediately  con- 
scious of  a  strangeness  in  her  surroundings. 
The  bed  she  was  lying  on  was  certainly  not 
her  own,  neither  was  it  customary  for  her 
to  retire  for  the  night  without  disrobing. 
For  some  moments  she  lay  perfectly  quiet 
trying  to  collect  her  senses,  slowly  and  with 
difficulty  piecing  together  the  events  of  the 
previous  evening.  She  recalled  the  box 
party,  the  annoyance  and  irritation  which 
had  caused  her  to  desert  her  friends,  and  her 
departure  for  home  in  the  motor  car  — 
there  her  memory  failed  her.  Her  last  con- 
scious recollection  was  of  the  overpowering 
perfume  of  the  tuberoses  and  the  heavy  sense 
of  drowsiness  which  had  descended  upon  her. 

As  her  groping  senses  slowly  took  in  her 

12 


A  Strange  Awakening  13 

surroundings,  she  saw  that  she  was  in  a 
small  but  luxuriously  furnished  apartment; 
a  chamber,  but  of  a  design  in  furnishing  the 
like  of  which  she  had  never  seen  before. 
There  were  no  windows,  the  room  being 
lighted  by  an  opaque  sheet  of  glass,  which 
formed  the  entire  ceiling. 

The  silence  was  absolute;  the  roar  and 
rumble  of  traffic  inseparable  from  the  life  of 
a  great  city  was  completely  stilled,  yet  the 
light,  filtering  through  the  ceiling,  told  her 
that  the  day  was  abroad.  Silence,  deep,  en- 
veloping, insistent,  seemed  to  press  upon  her 
with  an  imminent  foreboding,  a  sinister 
sense  of  uneasiness  and  alarm  which  clogged 
her  thoughts  and  paralyzed  her  actions.  By 
straining  her  ears  she  fancied  at  times  she 
could  detect  the  soft,  scuffling  sound  of  run- 
ning water,  and  the  distant  musical  mono- 
tone of  machinery  in  motion,  but  she  could 
not  fix  the  sound. 

Being  ordinarily  of  a  self-confident  and 
energetic  temperament,  no  sooner  had  Alice 
thoroughly  awakened  to  a  sense  of  the 
strange  and  mysterious  nature  of  her  sur- 


14  The  Dominant  Chord 

roundings  than  she  started  to  investigate. 
Rising  hastily,  and  throwing  her  opera  cloak 
around  her  bare  and  gleaming  shoulders,  she 
passed  hurriedly  through  a  door  which  she 
perceived  opening  into  an  adjoining  apart- 
ment. This  proved  to  be  a  boudoir,  but,  as 
there  was  nothing  in  its  character  or  fur- 
nishings to  throw  any  light  upon  the  situa- 
tion, she  contented  herself  with  a  cursory 
glance  and  continued  on  her  tour  of  inves- 
tigation. 

The  apartment  opening  out  of  the  boudoir 
proved  to  be  somewhat  larger  than  the  other, 
and  was  evidently  intended  to  be  used  both 
as  a  library  and  a  living-room.  With 
scarcely  a  glance  at  the  unusual  and  artistic 
beauty  of  the  place,  Alice's  attention  im- 
mediately fastened  itself  upon  a  sliding  door 
at  the  further  end.  Beyond  that  door  she 
felt  instinctively  lay  the  key  to  the  mystery. 
It  yielded  easily  to  her  touch,  revealing  to 
her  gaze  a  large  room  which,  from  the  oval 
sweep  of  its  further  wall,  suggested  the  after 
cabin  or  saloon  of  a  yacht.  Like  all  the 
other  rooms  it  was  windowless  and  lighted 


A  Strange  Awakening  16 

by  transparent  panels  in  the  ceiling.  In  the 
centre  of  this  room,  at  a  large  circular  table, 
was  seated  a  man  in  yachting  flannels. 

The  stranger  was  so  engrossed  in  the  ex- 
amination of  some  plans  on  the  table  before 
him  that  he  did  not  become  immediately  con- 
scious of  her  presence,  and  Alice  had  an 
opportunity  hastily  to  examine  his  features. 
They  were  clear-cut,  strongly  marked  and 
apparently  those  of  a  man  between  thirty 
and  thirty-five. 

The  slight  rustle  of  her  sMrts  as  she 
stepped  into  the  saloon  at  once  attracted  his 
attention  and  he  rose  quickly  to  meet  her. 

**  Good  morning,  Miss  Huntington."  The 
voice  was  low,  well-modulated,  and  pleasant, 
and  was  accompanied  by  an  engaging,  though 
somewhat  whimsical  smile.  '*  I  suppose  as 
this  is  your  initial  appearance  I  should  also 
add  the  formula  '  Welcome  to  our  city!  '  " 

**  May  I  ask  where  I  am,  who  you  are,  and 
what  is  the  meaning  of  all  this  1  ' ' 

Alice's  tone  could  be  on  occasion  as  coldly 
formal  as  a  mountain  glacier,  and  the  chill- 
ing hauteur  with  wliich  she  closed  her  inter- 


16  The  Dominant  Chord 

rogations  was  calculated  to  reduce  this  indi- 
vidual at  once  to  a  state  in  which  ke  could 
properly  appreciate  his  own  insignificance. 
In  this,  apparently,  it  partly  succeeded,  for 
the  smile  disappeared  and  a  look  of  cool  and 
studied  gravity  took  its  place. 

'*  To  answer  your  questions  seriatim,  you 
are  on  board  the  yacht  Sabine,  at  present 
some  sixty  miles  off  the  Delaware  Capes.  As 
for  myself,  my  name  is  Craig  —  John  Gor- 
don Craig,  very  much  at  your  service.  In 
regard  to  your  last  question,  that  is  not  quite 
so  easily  answered.  Perhaps  it  will  be  suf- 
ficient for  the  present  to  say  that  you  are 
here  because  I  very  greatly  desire  your  pres- 
ence, also  your  assistance  and  cooperation  in 
certain  psychological  experiments  which  I 
have  undertaken." 

'*  I  don't  in  the  least  understand  you!  " 

**  Probably  not.  I  am  afraid  the  explana- 
tion is  rather  vague  and  inadequate." 

**  Am  I  to  understand  that  I  am  detained 
here  forcibly  and  against  my  will  ?  ' ' 

**  I  fear  from  your  manner  that  I  shall 
have  to  admit  that  you  are  detained  here 


A  Strange  Awakening  17 

against  your  will,  but  surely  not  forcibly, 
that  is,  only  by  the  force  of  circumstances." 

*^  Circumstances!  What  circumstances, 
pray?  " 

"  Why,  the  circumstances  of  your  being 
here,  of  course.  There  are  no  present  means 
of  leaving  the  Sahine  unless  you  decide  to 
swim,  and  the  risk  is  so  great  that  I  feel  that 
I  should  be  justified  in  resorting  even  to 
physical  constraint  to  prevent  yon  from 
embarking  on  so  hazardous  an  undertaking." 

^'  But  you  can  alter  your  course  and  re- 
turn to  New  York,  or,  at  least,  to  some  port 
on  the  mainland. ' ' 

*'  I  regret  to  say  that  such  a  course  would 
not  coincide  with  my  present  plans." 

*  *  This  —  this  is  infamous !  ' ' 

*  *  *  Infamous !  '  I  beg  of  you  patience, 
Miss  Huntington.  My  methods  of  attaining 
my  ends  may  be  unusual  and  somewhat  dis- 
turbing, but  not  infamous,  surely." 

*  *  It  is  infamous ;  it  is  an  outrage  against 
society.  Do  you  realize,  Mr.  Craig,  if  that 
is  indeed  your  name,  that  your  action  is  in 
defiance  of  the  law?  " 


18  The  Dominant  Chord 

'*  The  law,  Miss  Huntington,  moves  rather 
slowly  on  the  high  seas,  and  for  the  machin- 
ery of  the  law  to  become  completely  effective 
it  is  first  necessary  to  apprehend  the  —  shall 
we  say  culprit,  or  victim?  It  is  quite  as  fre- 
quently one  as  the  other." 

"  I  should  use  a  more  definite  term  — 
criminal!  " 

**  That  is  a  harsh  and  unpleasant  word, 
truly,  but  we  will  not  dispute  about  termi- 
nology. So  far  as  the  law  goes,  the  situation 
seems  to  resemble  the  preliminary  essential 
in  the  recipe  for  rabbit  stew :  *  first  catch 
your  rabbit. '  ' ' 

'*  But  you  cannot  hope  to  avoid  pursuit 
for  ever;  sooner  or  later  you  will  have  to 
touch  at  some  port,  and  then  discovery  will 
be  certain." 

*'  You  do  small  credit  to  my  resourceful- 
ness. Miss  Huntington;  but  if  it  is  to  be  as 
you  say  I  shall  have  to  take  the  conse- 
quences." 

*'  But  what  then  is  your  object?  Is  it 
money  you  want  ?  My  father  is  rich ;  name 
your  price,  I  beg  of  you;    but  let  us  have 


A  Strange  Awakening  19 

done  with  this  folly.  You  have  the  manner 
and  appearance  of  a  gentleman,  and  have 
probably  been  forced  into  this  desperate 
enterprise  by  some  financial  crisis.  Turn 
back  to  New  York,  and  I  pledge  you  my  word 
you  will  not  regret  it. ' ' 

''  That  is  certainly  a  businesslike  propo- 
sition. Miss  Huntington,  and  deserves  care- 
ful consideration."  Craig  paused  reflect- 
ively. "  At  what  price  do  you  value  your- 
self? " 

The  question  came  like  a  shot  and  found 
her  utterly  unprepared. 

"  Your  father  is  reputed  to  be  worth  some 
three  hundred  millions,"  went  on  Craig 
calmly.  **  Now,  assuming  that  you  were  in 
the  custody  of  a  man  who  thought  you  the 
most  desirable  thing  in  the  world,  what 
would  you  advise  f  Should  he  give  you  up  in 
exchange  for,  let  us  say,  immunity  and  the 
three  hundred  millions,  or  —  well,  put  your- 
self in  his  place  —  would  you  give  up  what 
was  the  one  supreme  desire  of  your  life  for 
three  hundred  millions,  or  any  number  of 
millions?  " 


20  The  Dominant  Chord 

Alice  was  dumfounded  at  this  unexpected 
turn  of  affairs.  She  could  only  stand  and 
stare  in  absolute  astonishment  at  the  indi- 
vidual who  disposed  of  her  fate  so  calmly. 

'*  Do  you  mean  to  say  that  you  are  not 
holding  me  for  ransom?  "  she  at  length  man- 
aged to  whisper. 

"  Miss  Huntington,  I  beg  of  you,  do  you 
think  I  would  degrade  you  by  putting  a  price 
upon  your  body  as  if  you  were  a  horse  or 
an  ox?  Your  father  is  a  man  of  unlimited 
wealth,  but  I  have  that  which  is  greater, 
unlimited  power;  not  the  power  of  kings 
and  of  courts,  not  the  power  of  the  law,  but 
the  power  which  drives  this  craft,  which  will 
turn  the  wheels  of  commerce  and  manufac- 
ture, and  which  will  ultimately  make  every 
man  indeed  free  and  the  equal  of*  every  other 
man  —  free  to  develop  along  his  own  lines 
and  in  his  own  sphere,  an  equal  in  every- 
thing except  the  capacity  for  development.'* 

As  Craig  spoke  a  flush  of  enthusiasm 
swept  over  and  transformed  his  face. 

Alice  felt  a  cold  chill  at  her  heart  as  if 
an  icy  hand  were  laid  gently  upon  it.    She 


A  Strange  Awakening  21 

realized  in  that  moment  that  she  was  in  the 
power  of  a  fanatic,  a  madman. 

Craig  was  still  speaking:  —  '*  The  world, 
Miss  Huntington,  is  trembling  upon  the 
verge  of  a  social,  political  and  industrial  rev- 
olution, and  fate  has  decreed  that  you  and 
I  shall  play  an  important  part  in  the  drama. ' ' 

Instinctively  Alice  realized  that  she  must 
humour  him.  Her  only  chance  lay  in  a  tact- 
ful handling  of  the  situation,  in  appearing  to 
enter  into  the  spirit  of  his  hallucinations. 

*'  You  say,  *  you  and  I,'  but  why  II  If 
you  are  called  upon  to  achieve  some  great 
work  for  the  good  of  humanity,  why  do  you 
linger  on  the  road,  why  do  you  encumber 
yourself  with  a  co-worker,  why  do  you  drag 
me  into  it?  Believe  me,  I  have  neither  the 
capacity  nor  the  inclination  for  any  great 
achievement.  I  am  merely  a  woman,  super- 
ficial, shallow  and  frivolous  if  you  will,  but 
still  a  woman,  and  with  all  a  woman's  limi- 
tations. ' ' 

*'  That  is  precisely  it,  Miss  Huntington. 
You  are  indeed  a  woman,  and  no  great  work 
was  ever  achieved  in  this  world  but  had  a 


22  The  Dominant  Chord 

woman  for  its  inspiration.  You  ask  me  why 
I  drag  you  into  this.  It  is  because  —  most 
unfortunately,  perhaps  —  I  love  you;  be- 
cause I  am  anxious  to  see  whether  it  is  pos- 
sible to  make  a  true  and  womanly  woman  out 
of  a  spoiled  and  pampered  member  of  our 
so-called  best  society." 

At  this  calm  assertion  Alice's  self-control 
suddenly  deserted  her.  All  the  rage  of  a 
headstrong,  imperious  spirit  suddenly  flamed 
forth  from  her  eyes.  The  torrent  of  her 
wrath  vented  itself  in  one  blistering,  biting 
word,  — ''  Coward!  *' 

Drawing  the  folds  of  her  cloak  about  her, 
she  swept  out  of  the  saloon,  leaving  Craig 
to  follow  her  motions  with  eyes  that  dark- 
ened, even  while  his  lips  wreathed  them- 
selves into  a  calm,  enigmatic  smile. 


CHAPTER   m 

STUDYING  THE   SITUATION 

On  regaining  her  apartments,  Alice  sat 
herself  down  to  consider  the  situation  with 
what  calmness  she  could  muster.  Naturally 
of  a  sanguine  and  self-reliant  temperament, 
she  did  not  give  way  to  despair,  but  began 
to  cast  about  to  see  what  elements  of  defence 
her  situation  offered. 

That,  for  the  moment,  she  was  quite  in  the 
power  of  the  mysterious  individual  in  the 
saloon  was  painfully  apparent.  She  noticed 
that  the  door  which  separated  them  was 
fitted  with  a  heavy  and  substantial  lock,  but, 
being  the  descendant  of  a  long  line  of  sol- 
diers, she  realized  the  absolute  inefficiency  of 
passive  defence  unless  backed  by  at  least 
some  offensive  power.  Of  weapons  she  had 
none,  and  the  hurried  glance  she  had  given 
the  apartments  in  passing  through  them  did 
not  reveal  anything  which  might  be  made  to 

23 


24  The  Dominant  Chord 

supply  the  deficiency.  Evidently  the  first 
thing  to  do  was  to  make  a  detailed  examina- 
tion of  her  surroundings  and  then  decide 
upon  some  course  of  action.  This  she  imme- 
diately set  about  with  minute  and  character- 
istic thoroughness. 

Accustomed  as  she  was  to  the  luxury  and 
magnificence  of  the  life  of  which  she  was  a 
part,  she  could  not  help  being  surprised  at 
the  artistic  taste  and  the  lavish  use  of  wealth 
which  had  been  brought  to  the  furnishing 
and  ornamentation  of  these  tiny  rooms. 
Small  they  undeniably  were,  in  comparison 
with  the  spacious  halls  of  her  father's  Fifth 
Avenue  mansion,  but  within  their  limits  of 
size  Alice  had  seen  nothing  more  beautiful. 

The  sleeping  apartment  had  been  treated 
in  Wedgwood  design,  the  walls  being  pan- 
elled in  deep  Wedgwood  blue,  broken  by 
white  marble  pilasters  of  Doric  form,  and 
edged  with  a  frieze  of  Wedgwood  figures  in 
bas-relief.  The  massive  bed  had  been  built 
into  one  comer  of  the  room,  its  salient  angle 
being  supported  by  a  Doric  column  to  match 
the  pilasters.    Marble  was  the  material  used 


Studying  the  Situation  25 

throughout,  while  the  hangings  and  counter- 
pane were  of  blue,  heavily  embroidered  with 
Wedgwood  designs.  The  floor  was  a  mosaic 
of  white  marble  with  a  border  of  Grecian 
block  in  blue,  and  was  covered  by  a  heavy 
blue  rug  woven  with  a  border  of  Wedgwood 
figures.  The  ceiling  was  treated  in  harmony 
with  the  walls,  the  timbers  appearing  to  be 
overlaid  with  a  sheathing  of  white  marble 
and  the  recesses  tinted  and  ornamented  with 
similar  designs,  except  the  large  central 
panel,  which  was  formed  of  a  single  sheet  of 
opalescent  glass,  through  which  the  sunlight 
softly  flooded  the  apartment.  The  furniture 
was  simple  and  in  keeping  with  the  general 
effect,  and  the  whole  atmosphere  of  the  place 
seemed  to  woo  one  to  slumber  and  repose. 

The  boudoir,  which  adjoined  the  chamber, 
was  much  more  ornate  in  conception  and 
treatment  than  the  severe  and  chaste  sim- 
plicity of  the  sleeping  room.  Here  the  dec- 
orator had  apparently  resigned  himself  with- 
out restraint  to  a  riot  of  colour  schemes. 
The  panelling,  pilasters  and  coffered  ceiling 
of  the  sleeping  apartment  were  retained,  but 


26  The  Dominant  Chord 

the  sober  tints  and  chaste  treatment  were 
entirely  absent.  The  pilasters  were  of  the 
Corinthian  type  of  white  marble  with  heav- 
ily gilded  capitals,  while  the  panelling  ap- 
peared to  be  of  some  metal,  shot  and  streaked 
with  all  the  colours  of  the  solar  spectrum; 
Nile  green  and  orange,  pale  lemon  and  violet, 
sapphire,  turquoise  and  purple,  all  vied  and 
shaded  into  one  another  with  the  iridescent 
sheen  of  oil  on  placid  water;  while  the  cen- 
tral panel  in  the  ceiling,  which  lighted  the 
apartment,  glowed  with  all  the  vivid  and 
changing  colours  of  an  Italian  sunset. 

The  furniture  was  of  the  '*  Louis  Quinze  " 
pattern,  richly  upholstered  with  priceless 
tapestry,  and,  if  the  furnishings  in  the  sleep- 
ing room  had  been  meagre  and  severely  sim- 
ple, the  boudoir  abounded  in  all  those^  acces- 
sories so  necessary  to  the  comfort  and  hap- 
piness of  a  woman. 

The  design  and  decoration  of  the  rooms 
described,  although  rich  and  luxurious,  were, 
in  the  main,  along  more  or  less  conventional 
lines,  but  in  the  treatment  of  the  two  remain- 
ing apartments  of  the  suite  the  architect  had 


Studying  the  Situation  27 

evidently  given  full  sweep  to  a  vivid,  artistio 
and  imaginative  temperament. 

The  bath,  which  opened  out  of  the  sleeping 
room  on  the  opposite  side  from  the  boudoir, 
was  designed  to  represent  a  grotto  or  sea- 
cavern.  The  floor  appeared  to  be  formed  of 
a  single  sheet  of  heavy  plate-glass,  without 
flaw  or  bubble,  beneath  which  a  beach  of  fine, 
white  sea  sand  shelved  down  into  a  little  pool 
among  the  rocks.  So  realistic  was  the  effect, 
that,  as  she  stepped  upon  it,  Alice  instinc- 
tively lifted  her  skirts.  It  seemed  as  if  she 
was  in  very  truth  walking  on  the  surface  of 
the  water.  Among  the  caves  and  shallows  of 
the  pool  tiny  crabs  were  scurrying  about; 
small,  brilliant-hued  fish  of  tropical  species 
darted  hither  and  thither  among  the  waving 
fronds  of  delicate  marine  plants,  or  rested 
motionless  in  the  shadow  of  some  shell-en- 
crusted rock;  sea-urchins,  star-fish,  and  all 
the  minute  and  varied  life  of  the  submarine 
world  seemed  to  find  here  a  home  among 
their  natural  surroundings. 

From  the  sides  of  the  pool  the  walls  of 
dark   green   basalt,   broken   by    stratas    of 


The  Dominant  Chord 


gleaming  quartz  crystal,  arose,  vaulted  and 
buttressed  in  nature's  fashion,  to  an  opening 
in  the  roof  through  which  the  hlue  dome  of 
the  sky  was  visible.  In  a  niche,  or  recess, 
in  one  corner  a  shower  bath  had  been  cun- 
ningly fashioned,  the  jets  of  the  needle  spray 
issuing  from  a  glittering  mass  of  stalactites 
and  stalagmites  which  depended  from  the 
ceiling  and  sprang  from  the  floor  in  every 
direction. 

The  lavatory,  in  another  comer,  was  de- 
signed in  the  shape  of  a  large  scallop  shell, 
supported  on  a  pedestal  formed  of  the  en- 
twined bodies  of  three  beautifully  executed 
mermaids,  who  held  the  vessel  upon  the  fin- 
ger-tips of  their  slender,  uplifted  arms.  The 
interior  of  the  basin  was  lined  with  mother- 
of-pearl,  and  two  faucets  in  the  form  of  sea- 
horses, erect  upon  their  tails,  directed  the 
streams  of  hot  and  cold  water  into  its  iri- 
descent depths  from  their  curious,  trumpet- 
shaped  mouths. 

The  bath  was  another  triumph  of  fanciful 
art,  being  shaped  like  a  huge  osyter  shell  and 
lined   with   the   same   gleaming   mother-of- 


Studying  the  Situation  29 

pearl.  It  rested  on  a  base  of  black,  sea- 
eroded  rock  and  was  filled  with  jets  from 
the  mouths  of  artistically  wrought  dolphins. 

Disturbed  as  she  was  by  the  strange  and 
overpowering  predicament  in  which  she 
found  herself,  Alice  could  not  but  gaze  in 
rapt  wonder  upon  this  perfect  gem  of  art. 
Rome  and  Pompeii  in  their  most  ornate  and 
luxurious  days  could  have  presented  nothing 
like  this.  Like  a  child  she  passed  from  one 
thing  to  another,  touching  this  and  that, 
operating  the  cunningly  concealed  valves  of 
the  shower  bath,  and  turning  the  faucets  on 
and  off  to  assure  herself  that  the  things 
really  worked. 

Becoming  deeply  engrossed  in  a  furious 
battle  between  a  couple  of  large  sea-crabs, 
which  was  going  on  in  the  pool  beneath  the 
plate  glass  floor,  she  dropped  on  her  knees 
and  watched  the  combat  with  an  almost 
childlike  interest,  until  the  larger  of  the  two 
succeeded  in  tearing  a  claw  from  his  luck- 
less adversary,  and  in  making  off  with  it  to 
his  hole  under  the  rocks. 

Approaching    an    arched    opening,    which 


so  The  Dominant  Chord 

seemed  to  lead  into  another  chamber  of  the 
grotto,  she  was  suddenly  confronted  with  a 
full  length  reflection  of  herself.  Mirrors  had 
been  set  into  the  walls  in  various  places, 
which  not  only  had  the  effect  of  multiplying 
the  chambers  of  the  cavern,  but  also  allowed 
the  users  of  this  fairy  grotto  to  view  them- 
selves from  every  angle.  The  sight  of  her- 
self, still  arrayed  in  the  evening  gown  she 
had  worn  the  previous  night,  brought  back 
with  a  rush  the  full  realization  of  her  pre- 
dicament. Hurriedly  quitting  the  bath,  she 
proceeded  to  make  a  minute  examination  of 
the  remaining  apartment  at  her  conomand  to 
see  if  it  offered  any  solution  of  the  problem. 
This  was  the  library,  situated  beyond  the 
boudoir,  and  opening  into  the  saloon  or  after 
cabin. 

If  the  designer  of  the  bath  had  taken  one 
into  a  fairy  grotto,  or  cavern  of  the  sea,  the 
architect  of  the  library  had  certainly  trans- 
ported one  into  the  heart  of  the  ancient  wood. 
The  pilasters,  numerous  and  irregularly  dis- 
posed, were  fashioned  in  a  marvellous  imita- 
tion of  the  trunks  of  trees,  whose  supporting 


Studying  the  Situation  31 

branches  stretched  across  the  ceiling  in  every 
direction,  and  through  whose  leafy  tangle 
one  appeared  to  look  up  into  the  deep  blue 
dome  of  the  sky.  The  mural  painting  was 
entirely  covered  with  plate-glass  and  had 
been  so  skilfully  done  that  in  whatever  direc- 
tion one  looked  one  seemed  to  be  gazing 
down  through  the  endless  isles  and  arches  of 
a  forest,  while  here  and  there,  in  the  dis- 
tance, showed  the  winding  gleam  of  a  river 
wandering  through  sunlit  meadows  to  the 
sea.  The  books  and  book  cases  which  deter- 
mined the  character  of  the  apartment  were 
arranged  in  recesses  in  the  wall  behind  glass 
panels  through  whose  leafy  ornamentation 
their  titles  could  be  seen.  Alice  perceived 
that  they  covered  a  wide  range  of  subjects, 
and  that  they  seemed  to  have  been  selected 
to  appeal  to  a  woman's  taste  rather  than  to 
a  man's;  fiction,  poetry  and  books  of  biog- 
raphy and  art  being  predominant,  while 
technical  works  appeared  to  be  entirely  ab- 
sent. The  current  magazines  also  seemed  to 
be  well  represented,  and  Alice  felt  that  if  her 
enforced  confinement  was  going  to  be  pro- 


32  The  Dominant  Chord 

longed  it  would  be  in  this  apartment  that 
she  would  find  her  chief  solace  and  diver- 
sion. 

A  huge  fireplace,  like  a  cave  in  the  side  of 
a  ledge,  formed  of  huge  granite  boulders, 
loosely  thrown  together,  broke  the  contour 
of  the  wall  on  one  side  of  the  room,  and 
seemed  in  its  verisimilitude  as  if  it  had  been 
fashioned  there  by  nature. 

The  furniture  of  the  apartment  consisted 
of  several  large  and  comfortable  chairs  up- 
holstered in  dark  green  leather,  and  a  large 
library  table,  furnished  with  pens,  ink  and 
paper  and  all  the  usual  accessories  of  a 
study. 

As  Alice's  glance  wandered  over  the  table 
it  fell  upon  something  which  had  previously 
escaped  her  notice.  A  small,  square  enve- 
lope, addressed  to  herself,  was  lying  on  the 
blotter.  At  first  she  thought  she  would  not 
open  it,  but  curiosity  finally  triumphed,  and 
taking  a  silver  paper  knife  from  the  table  she 
quickly  slit  the  envelope  and  was  soon  in 
possession  of  its  contents.  The  writing  was 
round,  firm  and  masculine  in  every  line. 


Studying  the  Situation  33 

"  My  dear  Miss  Huntington  :  —  "it  read. 

**  It  is  not  our  present  intention  to  starve 
you  into  subjection.  The  enclosed  card  will 
acquaint  you  with  the  extent  and  variety  of 
our  larder.  You  can  transmit  your  orders 
to  the  chef  through  the  pneumatic  tube,  which 
you  will  find  in  the  recess  back  of  the  fire- 
place, and  your  meals  will  be  served  by 
means  of  the  dumb  waiter  communicating 
with  your  boudoir.  We  hope  that  the  neces- 
sity of  waiting  upon  yourself,  while  you  elect 
to  remain  in  retirement  will  not  prove  no- 
ticeably inconvenient. 

"  Anticipating  the  time  when  you  will  con- 
sent to  adorn  our  humble  board  with  your 
gracious  presence,  we  remain 

*^  Hopefully  yours, 

*'  Gordon  Cbaig. 

**  P.  S.  Your  trunks  have  arrived  and 
will  be  found  in  the  closet  of  your  sleeping- 
room.  G.  c.'* 

Alice  read  this  somewhat  remarkable  epis- 
tle   with    mixed    and    conflicting    emotions. 


34  The  Dominant  Chord 

*'  Starved  into  subjection  "  indeed!  Her 
whole  aggressive  and  combative  nature  im- 
mediately rose  up  in  arms  at  the  suggestion. 
Never  in  her  whole  life  from  her  earliest 
recollections  had  she  known  the  meaning  of 
coercion.  Even  her  childish  whims  and  fan- 
cies had  been  the  law  of  a  doting  father  and 
an  army  of  devoted  servants.  The  idea  that 
anyone  could  dominate  her,  could  break 
down  her  will  power,  seemed  utterly  incon- 
ceivable. Like  the  Imperial  Guard  at  Water- 
loo, she  could  die,  but  she  would  not  sur- 
render. This  individual  who  called  himself 
Craig  was  destined  to  learn  of  what  stuff  the 
Huntingtons  were  made. 

At  first  she  decided  she  would  eat  nothing, 
but  soon  better  judgment  prevailed.  If  a 
struggle  was  impending,  she  realized  that 
she  must  fortify  herself  to  meet  it. 

"  It  is  not  our  present  intention  to  starve 
you  into  subjection,'*  Craig  had  written. 
Evidently  he  was  relying  on  mental  coercion 
rather  than  physical  force  to  accomplish  his 
purposes,  whatever  they  were ;  although  the 
insertion  of  the  word  "  present  "  was  some- 


Studying  the  Situation  35 

what  disconcerting  and  suggested  the  possi- 
ble employment  of  drastic  measures  later  on. 

However,  Alice  felt  that  it  was  profitless 
to  speculate  at  the  present  moment,  so  sit- 
ting down,  she  consulted  the  menu,  and  or- 
dered a  simple  though  substantial  breakfast 
of  chops,  eggs,  and  coffee  as  the  first  move  in 
preparing  to  meet  whatever  emergency  the 
future  might  hold. 

Despatching  this  order  through  the  pneu- 
matic tube,  which  she  found  without  diffi- 
culty, her  thoughts  next  turned  themselves  to 
the  trunks  of  which  Craig  had  made  mention 
in  his  postscript.  Her  original  examination 
of  the  sleeping  apartment  had  failed  to  re- 
veal a  closet,  but  as  Craig  had  spoken  of  one, 
there  must  be  one  there.  She  at  once  de- 
cided to  institute  a  thorough  and  exhaustive 
search.  If  a  closet  was  there  the  door  must 
be  in  one  of  the  panels.  She  examined  them 
all  carefully,  and  soon  her  attention  was  at- 
tracted by  a  projection  in  the  ornamental 
frieze  which  looked  as  if  it  might  possibly 
serve  as  a  door  knob.  She  pushed  it,  and 
pulled  it,  and  finally  remembering  that  all 


36  The  Dominant  Chord 

the  doors  which  she  had  encountered  so  far 
on  this  mysterious  craft  were  of  the  sliding 
variety,  she  pressed  it  aside,  when  the  panel 
yielded  easily  and  slid  noiselessly  into  a  re- 
cess back  of  the  pilaster,  revealing  a  large, 
square  closet  almost  the  size  of  a  room, 
around  the  sides  of  which  four  of  her  own 
trunks  were  neatly  arranged.  As  the  key  to 
each  was  dangling  from  a  tag  attached  to  the 
lock  she  lost  no  time  in  opening  the  lids  and 
examining  the  contents. 

According  to  the  instructions  which  she 
had  always  given  her  maid,  Alice  found  a 
neatly  written  card  in  the  top  of  each  trunk 
giving  a  list  of  what  it  contained  and  the 
part  of  the  trunk  in  which  each  article  was 
packed.  In  glancing  over  these  memoranda 
she  at  once  perceived  that  whoever  had  su- 
perintended the  operation  of  packing  had 
made  lavish  provisions  for  her  comfort  and 
convenience.  All  her  toilet  and  travelling 
requisites  were  in  their  accustomed  places. 
All  her  equipment  for  a  sea- voyage,  —  warm 
clothing,  steamer  rugs,  rain  coats,  furs,  etc., 
were  present,  and  in  addition,  two  of  the 


Studying  the  Situation  37 

trunks  were  completely  filled  with  her  choi- 
cest and  most  elaborate  evening  and  dinner 
gowns.  Even  the  jewels  and  ornaments  she 
was  most  accustomed  to  wear  had  been 
packed  in  their  cases  and  occupied  a  tray  in 
one  of  the  trunks. 

Alice 's  spirits  rose  as  she  surveyed  her  re- 
sources. If  beauty  aided  by  adornment  was 
a  woman's  most  effective  weapon  she  felt 
she  was  amply  provided  with  the  materials 
of  war.  Selecting  a  morning  gown  of  soft 
yellow  crepe,  which  she  could  easily  get  into, 
Alice  hastily  discarded  her  badly  rumpled 
evening  dress,  and  after  a  hurried  and  some- 
what nervous  surrender  to  the  seductions  of 
the  needle  spray  in  her  fairy  grotto,  donned 
her  new  raiment  feeling  refreshed  and  not  a 
little  elated. 

She  had  hardly  completed  these  opera- 
tions when  the  sound  of  an  electric  bell  vi- 
brating in  the  next  room  announced  the  ar- 
rival of  her  breakfast.  The  dumb  waiter  was 
not  conspicuously  in  evidence,  but  her  search 
for  the  closet  had  educated  her,  and  she  soon 
found  a  movable  panel,  and  sliding  it  back  a 


38  The  Dominant  Chord 

breakfast  table,  set  and  laid  with  silver  and 
fine  linen,  and  bearing  the  viands  smoking 
hot  which  she  had  ordered,  rolled  smoothly 
out  of  the  recess  into  the  middle  of  the  room. 

Breakfast  disposed  of,  she  pushed  the 
table  back  on  to  the  lift,  closed  the  panel,  and 
set  herself  down  to  a  serious  consideration 
of  the  situation.  Her  nerves  were  rapidly 
recovering  their  tone,  and  she  felt  mounting 
within  her  a  sense  of  confidence,  a  feeling  of 
equality  with  the  situation  which  before  had 
been  lacking. 

That  her  abduction  had  been  carefully 
planned  she  could  not  doubt.  Everything 
pointed  to  a  thoroughness  of  preparation,  an 
attention  to  detail,  that  at  once  denoted  the 
presence  of  a  master  mind.  The  only  thing 
she  could  do  at  present  seemed  to  be  to  re- 
main quietly  in  her  apartments  and  await 
developments. 

Slowly  the  long  hours  dragged  themselves 
away.  She  selected  a  book  from  the  library 
and  tried  to  interest  herself,  but  her  eyes 
wandered  continually  to  the  clock  over  the 
fireplace. 


Studying  the  Situation  39 

The  clock,  like  everything  connected  with 
this  strange  craft,  on  which  she  found  her- 
self, possessed  an  individuality  of  its  own. 
It  was  formed  of  three  concentric  dials,  the 
larger  and  outer  one  being  divided  into 
twenty-four  divisions  for  the  hours  of  the 
day,  but  with  this  peculiarity:  The  num- 
bers from  I  up  to  XII  being  retained,  XII 
midnight  occupying  the  customary  position 
of  VI  at  the  bottom  of  the  dial,  while  XII 
noon  remained  in  its  place  at  the  top.  A 
large  heart-shaped  pointer  carried  on  an  in- 
visible arm  moved  around  the  outer  dial, 
while  the  two  inner  ones  similarly  equipped 
showed  the  minutes  and  the  seconds.  The 
lower  half  of  the  dial  was  formed  of  an  ex- 
panding and  contracting  black  sector,  which 
indicated  the  hours  of  darkness  and  daylight. 
At  night  the  dial  was  faintly  illuminated  by 
an  electric  light  concealed  within  its  face. 
Above  the  clock,  set  flush  in  a  panel  of  the 
ceiling,  was  a  large  telltale  compass,  and  as 
Alice  raised  her  eyes  to  it  she  noticed  that 
the  needle  indicated  a  course  due  south. 

Was   she  really  on   a   ship  in   the  open 


40  The  Dominant  Chord 

ocean?  Nothing  in  her  surroundings  as  she 
sat  in  the  library,  except  the  compass,  seemed 
to  suggest  it.  The  rolling  and  pitching  of  a 
vessel  in  the  open  sea  was  entirely  absent. 
Of  motion  there  was  none  except  that  strange 
sense  of  motion  in  rest.  Alice  felt  instinct- 
ively that  she,  herself,  and  all  of  her  sur- 
roundings, were  moving  smoothly  and  swiftly 
through  space,  but  of  the  tangible  evidences 
of  motion  there  were  none.  The  silence  was 
oppressive,  —  no  movement  on  deck,  —  no 
sound  of  voices  came  to  her  ears, —  no  jar 
or  vibration  of  machinery,  only  that  faint 
musical  hum,  and  the  soft  scuffling  sound  of 
distant  waters.  Occasionally  at  long  inter- 
vals the  strokes  of  chimes  were  borne  to 
her  ears.  Sometimes  they  came  faint  and 
sweetly,  as  if  from  a  great  distance;  at 
others  as  loud  and  sonorous  vibrations  as 
though  the  bells  were  close  at  hand. 

As  darkness  approached  she  began  to  look 
about  for  some  means  of  illumination.  An 
electric  switch  in  the  wainscoting  soon  caught 
her  eye,  and  on  turning  it  the  darkening  sky- 
light was  at  once  flooded  with  a  soft  and  dif- 


Studying  the  Situation  41 

fused  light  whose  precise  nature  she  could 
not  determine,  but  which  illuminated  the 
apartment  evenly  and  brilliantly  in  all  its 
recesses. 

As  the  evening  passed  away,  and  nothing 
seemed  destined  to  transpire,  Alice  felt  the 
sense  of  drowsiness  again  creeping  upon  her. 
Acknowledging  the  uselessness  of  trying  to 
keep  awake  indefinitely,  she  returned  to  her 
chamber,  and  lying  down  on  one  of  the 
couches  was  soon  in  a  heavy,  dreamless  sleep. 


CHAPTER   IV 

AN   ENCOUNTEB   ON   THE   HIGH    BEAS 

When  Alice  again  opened  her  eyes  the 
chimes  of  the  clock  in  the  library  were  just 
striking  nine.  Exhaustion,  incident  to  the 
mental  strain  she  was  under,  had  caused  her 
to  sleep  well  into  the  day,  but  the  sleep 
had  refreshed  her  and  restored  in  a  great 
measure  her  poise  and  self-confidence.  She 
quickly  decided  that  she  would  not  endure 
another  day  in  the  solitary  confinement  of 
her  apartment.  She  determined  to  carry  the 
war  into  the  enemy's  country.  Even  if  the 
individual  she  had  encountered  was  not 
amenable  to  reason  he  must  have  accom- 
plices, and  they  certainly  must  have  em- 
barked on  the  enterprise  for  gain.  Could 
she  not  bid  as  high  as  anyone  for  their  alle- 
giance? The  thought  comforted  her  and 
renewed  her  confidence.  She  would  show 
this  man  that  though  helpless  and  isolated, 

42 


An  Encounter  on  the  High  Seas      43 

she  was  an  antagonist  not  to  be  despised  — 
no  weak  and  submissive  victim  ready  to  his 
hand. 

Knowing  full  well  the  power  of  her  beauty, 
and  having  a  correct  appreciation  of  the  ac- 
cessories necessary  to  render  it  completely 
effective,  she  selected  a  walking  suit  of  blue 
serge,  which  fitted  perfectly  her  tall  and 
gracefully  rounded  figure,  and  hastily  don- 
ning it  started  on  her  foray  into  the  enemy's 
country. 

The  main  cabin  was  deserted  when  she 
entered  it,  but  a  broad  staircase  on  her  right 
led  evidently  to  the  deck  above.  Quickly 
ascending  this  Alice  found  herself  in  a  glass 
enclosed  apartment,  and  for  the  first  time 
she  had  a  chance  to  take  in  her  situation. 
She  was  in  the  chart  room  of  what  seemed 
to  be  a  large  ocean-going  motor  boat.  A 
sliding  door  in  the  after  end  opened  on  to 
the  promenade  deck,  while  forward,  one  on 
either  side  gave  access  to  a  short  flight  of 
steps  which  led  up  to  the  forecastle  deck, 
which  was  raised  to  about  the  level  of  the 
windows.    In  the  circular  sweep  of  the  for- 


44  The  Dominant  Chord 

ward  end  of  this  chart  house  stood  the  bm- 
nacle,  a  heavy  cohimn  of  white  marble,  which 
looked  more  like  the  pedestal  of  a  sun-dial 
than  a  nautical  device.  Alice  had  a  consid- 
erable fund  of  nautical  lore  gleaned  from  her 
many  cruises  on  her  father's  yacht,  and  she 
noticed  at  once  the  peculiar  construction  of 
this  binnacle.  The  compass,  a  disk  of  ground 
glass,  with  raised  compass  points  in  blue 
enamel,  was  not  swung  in  brackets,  as  is 
usual  on  vessels,  but  set  flush  in  the  top  of 
the  pedestal  with  apparently  no  provision 
made  for  any  displacement  caused  by  the 
rolling  and  pitching  of  the  vessel.  Two 
small  metal  balls  of  dull  bronze  about  the 
size  of  billiard  balls,  were  mounted  on  the 
pedestal  on  either  side  of  the  compass  card, 
while  a  pointer,  of  the  same  material,  was 
pivoted  at  its  centre,  its  forward  end  ter- 
minating in  an  arrow  point,  while  the  other 
carried  a  small  knob  which  was  arranged  to 
slide  over  a  scale  marked  on  the  arm.  A 
segment  of  the  same  metal  was  also  set  in 
the  top  of  the  pedestal  edging  the  after  end 
of  the  compass  plate  and  extending  on  each 


An  Encounter  on  the  High  Seas      45 

side  almost  to  the  two  metal  balls  previously 
mentioned.  Of  wheels,  levers  and  other  con- 
trolling devices  usually  found  in  the  pilot 
house  of  a  vessel  there  were  absolutely 
none. 

As  Alice  approached  to  examine  this  pecul- 
iar binnacle,  she  perceived  Craig  standing  on 
the  raised  forecastle  deck,  and,  true  to  her 
determination,  proceeded  at  once  to  carry  the 
action  to  close  quarters.  Stepping  out  on  the 
deck  she  ascended  the  short  ladder  which 
gave  access  to  his  coign  of  vantage. 

The  Sabine  was  cutting  her  way  through 
an  absolutely  smooth  sea.  Above  the  sun 
was  shining  brightly  in  a  perfectly  clear  sky. 
Not  a  cloud  revealed  itself  in  all  the  blue 
dome  above  save  in  the  south,  where  a  few 
fine  wreaths  of  vapour,  delicate  and  feathery 
as  plumes  of  distant  cannon  smoke,  were 
wafted  up  from  below  the  horizon  to  stain 
with  their  whiteness  the  celestial  purity  of 
that  overarching  sphere.  All  around,  the 
blue  of  the  sky  met  the  deeper  blue  of  the 
ocean  in  a  sharph"  defined,  unbroken  ring. 

As  Alice  ascended  the  stairs  Craig  heard 


46  The  Dominant  Chord 

her  step  and  lifting  Ms  cap  he  turned  to  meet 
her. 

**  A  most  beautiful  morning,  Miss  Alice,  I 
suppose  this  is  what  '  Old  Salts  '  would  call 
a  weather  breeder." 

Alice  felt  the  note  of  calm  —  not  assurance, 
—  but  confidence  in  his  voice,  and  instantly 
her  combative  temperament  rose  in  arms. 
She  noticed  that  he  even  had  had  the  au- 
dacity to  address  her  by  her  given  name, 
although  she  admitted  that  he  did  have  the 
grace  to  prefix  a  title.  Eealizing  that  there 
was  nothing  to  be  gained  by  a  display  of 
temper,  however,  she  curbed  herself,  and  an- 
swered coldly,  — ' '  I  am  not  greatly  inter- 
ested in  the  state  of  the  weather,  Mr.  Craig. 
What  I  came  here  for  was  to  ask  you  how 
much  longer  this  farce  is  going  to  con- 
tinue." 

*'  I  am  glad  you  look  upon  it  as  a  farce; 
I  feared  you  might  possibly  regard  it  in  the 
light  of  a  tragedy." 

**  It  may  easily  become  a  tragedy,"  re- 
plied Alice  tensely. 

*  *  Yes, '  *  continued  Craig  reflectively,  *  *  you 


An  Encounter  on  the  High  Seas     47 

are  quite  right,  it  may  easily  become  a  trag- 
edy. You  have  a  strong  and  determined  na- 
ture, Miss  Huntington;  so  have  I;  it  is  eas- 
ily possible  that  one  or  the  other  may  break 
in  the  bending." 

**  You  will  never  bend  me,  never!  " 

**  That  is  as  it  may  appear  in  the  book  of 
fate,  but  we  shall  have  plenty  of  time  to  dis- 
cuss that  question  later." 

**  "We  shall  not  have  plenty  of  time  to  dis- 
cuss that  or  any  other  question,  except  the 
question  of  returning  immediately  to  New 
York." 

**  I  am  sorry,  but  that  is  the  one  question 
I  cannot  discuss  with  you  at  present." 

'*  Cannot  or  will  not?  " 

Craig  shrugged  his  shoulders,  —  "  As  you 
please. ' ' 

Alice  bit  her  lip  in  a  furious  effort  to  keep 
back  her  rising  anger.  **  This  is  unbear- 
able !  ' '  she  said,  her  low  voice  vibrating  with 
passion,  * '  I  —  I  will  appeal  to  your  crew. 
There  must  at  least  be  one  man  among  them 
who  will  aid  a  woman  in  distress." 

*  *  So  you  would  stir  up  mutiny  on  the  high 


48  The  Dominant  Chord 

seas,  would  you?  I  am  sorry  to  disappoint 
you,  but  you  see  I  happen  to  be  the  crew,  — 

"  *  For  I  am  the  cook  and  the  captain  bold, 
And  the  mate  of  the  Nancy  Brig, 
And  the  bo'sun  tight  and  the  midshipmite, 
And  the  crew  of  the  Captain's  gig.* 

I  believe  that  is  the  way  the  old  doggerel 
runs,  or  something  to  that  effect." 

*  *  Do  you  mean  to  tell  me  that  you  sail  this 
ship  alone?  " 

**  Precisely." 

"  But  the  steward,  your  chef?  "  faltered 
Alice. 

''  Forgive  me,  but  I  also  am  the  chef.  I 
hope  the  cuisine  is  satisfactory." 

Alice  was  dumfounded.  She  was  abso- 
lutely alone  in  the  midst  of  the  ocean  with 
this  man.  He  might  be  a  madman,  monster, 
or  what  not.  Her  heart  sank  at  the  thought. 
She  was  trying  to  grasp  with  her  mind  the 
full  significance  of  the  situation,  when  the 
faint  distant  stroke  of  chimes  broke  the  mo- 
mentary pause. 

Craig  turned  quickly.  Far  away  on  the 
distant  horizon  a  dull  smudge  stained  the 


An  Encounter  on  the  High  Seas      49 

pure  sapphire  blue.  The  smoke  of  a  steamer 
was  in  sight.  Craig  and  Alice  watched  it 
with  divergent  and  conflicting  emotions.  The 
vessel,  a  large  liner,  rose  rapidly.  The  Sa- 
bine was  driving  easily  along  at  a  speed  of 
about  ten  knots,  her  lean  prow  cutting  the 
long  ground  swell  as  smoothly  as  a  knife 
shears  through  butter.  When  first  seen,  the 
smoke  was  about  one  point  on  her  port  bow. 
If  no  change  was  made  in  the  course  the  two 
ships  would  pass  close  to  each  other.  Craig 
stepped  into  the  pilot  house  and  returned 
with  a  telescope,  through  which  he  examined 
the  oncoming  liner  attentively. 

*'  She  must  be  the  Prince  Karl  of  the 
North  German  Lloyd  line,'*  he  announced. 
**  My  old  friend,  Captain  Scott,  commands 
her.  I  saw  by  the  papers  that  she  was  going 
to  the  Windward  Islands  with  a  party  of  ex- 
cursionists. ' ' 

Alice  did  not  reply.  All  her  attention  was 
concentrated  on  the  approaching  ship.  In 
less  than  half  an  hour  she  would  be  abeam, 
and  she  saw  that  if  the  course  was  not 
changed  they  would  pass  within  a  half  a  mile 


50  The  Dominant  Chord 

of  each  other.  She  expected  momentarily  to 
see  Craig  make  some  movement  to  alter  his 
direction,  hut  he  gave  no  sign,  continuing  to 
gaze  at  the  liner  through  his  glass.  Rapidly 
the  two  ships  drew  together.  Alice  could  see 
the  flash  and  glitter  of  the  brass  work,  the 
details  of  her  boats,  funnels  and  rigging,  and 
the  figures  of  men  upon  her  bridge.  Would 
it  be  possible  to  signal!  Suddenly  a  thought 
flashed  upon  her  which  set  her  heart  beating 
violently.    "  The  Meyer  Code!  '* 

Quietly  she  stepped  back,  and  softly  de- 
scended the  stairs  to  the  deck  on  the  further 
side  of  the  pilot  house.  She  knew  that  the 
important  news  of  the  day  was  communicated 
to  all  the  large  liners  by  wireless.  Her  mys- 
terious disappearance  must  by  this  time  have 
been  flashed  all  over  the  world.  Craig  ap- 
parently did  not  heed  her  movements,  but 
continued  to  gaze  through  his  telescope. 

As  soon  as  she  gained  the  shelter  of  the 
deck  house,  Alice  stepped  quickly  toward  the 
stem  until  she  came  out  upon  the  open  deck. 
Here  she  was  shielded  from  Craig's  view  by 
the  pilot  house,  which  she  had  placed  squarely 


An  Encounter  on  the  High  Seas      51 

between  them,  at  the  same  time  being  in  plain 
sight  from  the  deck  of  the  liner.  The  two 
ships  were  now  fairly  abeam  and  passing 
rapidly.  Drawing  out  her  handkerchief, 
Alice  began  to  signal  frantically  in  the 
**  Meyer  Code,"  — 

''Help!  Help!  I  am  a  prisoner  here. 
Help!    Rescue!  " 

Majestically  the  liner  proceeded  on  her 
way.  The  ships  had  passed  now  and  were 
rapidly  drawing  apart.  Alice  heard  the  tele- 
scope close  with  a  snap,  and  Craig's  step  on 
the  ladder. 

Tears  of  rage  and  bitter  disappointment 
blinded  her  eyes.  With  one  last  despairing 
effort  she  signalled  again,  — 

*'  Help!    I  am  Alice  Huntington." 

Craig  found  her  leaning  against  the  chart 
house,  one  tense  hand  clutching  a  fold  of  her 
skirt,  her  handkerchief  pressed  against  her 
lips  to  stifle  a  sob. 

"  Too  bad,"  he  remarked  sympathetically. 
Suddenly  — ' '  Hello !  what 's  this  ?  "  he 
cried,  as  he  cast  a  look  at  the  receding  liner. 
A  commotion  seemed  to  be  going  on  upon 


52  The  Dominant  Chord 

her  bridge.  Men  were  swarming  up  the 
ladders  and  one  levelled  a  telescope  at 
them. 

Suddenly  the  huge  bows  of  the  ship  swung 
sharply  to  port.  With  a  majestic  sweep  she 
altered  her  course  and  sheered  up  into  the 
wake  of  the  Sabine,  while  up  at  the  mast- 
head went  her  ensign  with  the  red  and  white 
pennant  of  the  International  Code  fluttering 
beneath  it. 

**  So  he  wants  to  have  a  little  conversa- 
tion, does  he?  "  remarked  Craig.  ''  Well,  I 
guess  we  can  oblige  him."  Going  into  the 
chart  house  he  soon  returned  with  a  large 
canvas  bag  and  a  leather-covered  copy  of  the 
code  book.  Giving  the  latter  to  Alice,  he  set 
the  answering  pennant  at  the  *'  dip  "  and 
awaited  results. 

The  two  vessels  had  been  moving  at  such 
speed  that  by  the  time  the  liner  had  swung 
around  and  was  fairly  in  the  wake  of  the 
Sabine,  she  was  some  five  miles  astern. 
Smoke  was  pouring  from  her  funnels  in 
heavy  clouds,  showing  that  her  turbines  were 
being  forced  to  their  utmost  capacity. 


An  Encounter  on  the  High  Seas      53 

Alice  noticed  that  the  Sabine  also  had  in 
some  unaccountable  way  increased  her  speed, 
and  was  now  driving  through  the  water  at 
a  rapid  rate,  but  in  her  mind  the  issue  was  no 
longer  in  doubt.  She  knew  the  Prince  Karl, 
a  new  ship,  and  credited  with  being  one  of 
the  fastest  liners  afloat ;  her  speed  of  twenty- 
nine  knots  would  make  the  effort  of  any 
motor  boat  to  escape  appear  ridiculous. 
Gradually  the  liner  cut  down  the  distance 
between  them. 

As  Craig  finished  setting  his  code  pennant 
a  mass  of  bunting  was  broken  out  from  the 
end  of  her  signal  yard. 

Craig  studied  it  through  the  glass,  — ' '  Let 
us  see;  code  flag  over  red  and  white  verti- 
cal stripe,  that  is  '  H,'  I  think.  Will  you 
look  it  up,  Miss  Alice,  and  see  what  he 
says?  " 

Alice  turned  to  the  table  and  ran  her 
glance  down  the  column  until  it  came  to 
**  H."  The  light  of  battle  was  gleaming 
brightly  in  her  eyes.  In  a  voice  from  which 
she  tried  in  vain  to  exclude  the  ring  of  tri- 
umph, she  read,  "  Stop,  heave  to,  or  come 


54  The  Dominant  Chord 

nearer,  I  have  something  important  to  com- 
municate. ' ' 

"  I  don't  think  we  want  to  hear  his  im- 
portant communication,"  remarked  Craig. 
**  Will  you  let  me  take  the  book  a  moment, 
Miss  Huntington?  '*  He  ran  his  eye  rapidly 
over  the  tables  and  then  selected  two  flags 
from  the  pile  of  brilliant-hued  bunting  at  his 
feet.  A  yellow  flag  with  a  black  ball  in  the 
centre,  and  another  with  blue  and  white  hori- 
zontal stripes. 

**  It  is  fortunate  that  you  will  not  be  able 
to  hear  the  remarks  of  my  friend,  Captain 
Scott,  when  he  reads  that  signal.  In  any 
newspaper  office  they  would  probably  be 
labelled  *  unprintable.'  " 

Alice  picked  up  the  code  book  and  saw  that 
the  two  flags  flying  were  *'  I  "  over  **  J." 
Turning  to  the  table  she  read,  '  *  Unless  your 
communication  is  very  important,  I  must  be 
excused. ' ' 

The  supreme  effrontery  of  the  man  amazed 
her.  Craig  was  standing  by  the  rail  watch- 
ing the  oncoming  liner,  not  with  the  cool 
composure  of  the  strong  man  who  suddenly 


An  Encounter  on  the  High  Seas      55 

finds  his  plans  gone  awry ;  not  with  the  bra- 
vado of  a  coward  caught  in  his  own  trap,  but 
with  the  concentrated  interest  of  one  who 
is  solving  an  absorbingly  interesting  prob- 
lem. 

The  signal  they  had  shown  evidently  acted 
like  a  spur  on  the  liner,  for  the  volume  of 
smoke  from  her  funnels  increased  and  a  new 
display  of  bunting  fluttered  from  her  signal 
yard. 

**  Blue  with  a  white  St.  Andrew's  cross, 
and  a  blue  and  white  checkerboard.  *  M  ' 
over  *  N,'  "  remarked  Craig.  *'  What  does 
he  say  this  time,  Miss  Huntington?  ** 

*'  Stop  instantly  I  "  replied  Alice,  refer- 
ring to  the  table. 

*  *  Hum !  That  is  rather  peremptory.  I 
guess  there  is  no  answer  to  that  signal. 
Won't  you  come  astern,  where  you  can  sit 
down  and  watch  the  proceedings?  "  Craig 
hoisted  the  answering  pennant  and  then  low- 
ered it  as  a  sign  that  the  last  signal  had  been 
understood,  and  then  thrusting  the  brilliantly 
coloured  flags  into  their  receptacle  disap- 
peared into  the  chart  house. 


56  The  Dominant  Chord 

In  a  few  moments  he  rejoined  Alice  at  the 
stern,  and  seating  himself  on  the  taffrail 
studied  the  liner  as  one  who  had  no  partic- 
ular interest  in  her  movements.  The  furious 
stoking  which  was  going  on  in  her  fire  room 
seemed  to  be  producing  results,  however,  for 
she  had  now  drawn  up  to  within  about  three 
miles,  but  the  gain  was  being  made  very 
slowly,  and  Alice  awoke  to  the  fact  that  the 
Sabine  was  now  tearing  along  at  a  phenom- 
enal rate  of  speed.  So  easily  did  she  slip 
through  the  water,  however,  that  only  the 
rapid  drift  of  the  spume  astern  betrayed  the 
tremendous  speed  at  which  she  was  travel- 
ling. 

Slowly  the  minutes  dragged  by.  Alice, 
keyed  to  the  highest  tension,  saw  that  the 
liner  was  now  drawing  no  nearer,  indeed  in 
the  last  few  minutes  it  almost  seemed  as  if 
she  had  lost  a  little.  A  knot  of  men  were 
working  hurriedly  around  some  object  on  the 
forecastle,  and  the  officers  on  her  bridge  were 
watching  the  Sabine  intently  through  their 
glasses.  Suddenly  the  signal  flags,  which 
were  still  flying  from  her  mast,  were  replaced 


An  Encounter  on  the  High  Seas      57 

by  another  set;  the  same  yellow  flag  over 
a  blue  pennant  with  a  white  ball. 

'*  '  I,"  D,'  "  translated  Craig.  ''  What  is 
it  this  time?  " 

Alice  consulted  the  book  with  feverish 
haste.  ''  '  I  '  '  D/  '  I  '  '  D,'  "  would  she 
never  find  it ! 

' '  *  Heave  to !  or  I  will  fire  into  you !  '  " 
she  cried.  *'  You  had  better  give  up, 
Mr.  Craig,  the  odds  are  too  much  against 
you. ' ' 

Craig  only  smiled.  **  This  bids  fair  to 
become  interesting.  May  I  ask  you  to  go 
below,  Miss  Huntington?  Captain  Scott  is  a 
pretty  determined  fellow  when  aroused,  and 
I  do  not  know  how  far  he  might  be  disposed 
to  push  this  matter." 

"  He'll  push  it  to  a  decisive  conclusion  if 
he  is  the  man  he  should  be.  No,  I  will  not 
go  below,  I  will  take  my  chances  in  the  open. 
The  satisfaction  of  seeing  you  beaten  and 
humiliated  will  more  than  repay  rae  for  any 
risk  I  may  run." 

"  Oh,  very  well.    As  you  choose." 

Finding  that,  in  spite  of  his  efforts,  he 


58  The  Dominant  Chord 

was  no  longer  gaining  on  the  chase,  the  cap- 
tain of  the  liner  determined  to  play  his  trump 
card.  There  was  a  flash,  a  puff  of  white 
smoke  streamed  out  from  the  forecastle  deck 
of  the  liner,  and  the  shell  from  a  six  pounder 
went  screaming  over  the  Sabine  and  struck 
the  water  a  quarter  of  a  mile  beyond. 

*'  Pretty  close,"  muttered  Craig.  "  I  did 
not  think  he  would  dare  to  do  it.  He  must 
be  very  sure  of  his  ground." 

The  whistle  of  the  shot  seemed  to  act  like 
magic  on  the  Sabine.  Like  a  frightened 
thing  she  leaped  forward  and  Alice  saw  with 
chagrin  that  the  liner  was  now  being  dropped 
rapidly. 

The  first  shot  was  quickly  followed  by  a 
second,  which  struck  close  to  the  port  bow, 
and  then  the  shells  came  rapidly,  striking 
now  on  one  side,  now  on  the  other,  moan- 
ing and  whining  overhead  and  occasionally 
sprinkling  them  both  with  splashes  of 
spray. 

Alice  felt  that  she  was  taking  part  in  a 
battle.  She  stood  with  tightly  clenched  hands 
and  flashing  eyes  watching  the  pompons  of 


An  Encounter  on  the  High  Seas      59 

smoke  as  they  rose,  and  listened  to  the  sharp 
staccato  reports  of  the  gun  as  they  drifted 
down  the  wind  to  her.  If  they  would  only 
shoot  to  hit,  but  the  gunner  evidently  had  had 
his  instructions  and  the  range  was  increasing 
every  moment. 

In  the  twenty  minutes  following  the  crack 
of  the  first  gun  the  liner  had  been  dropped 
over  two  miles,  and  now  the  shells  were  be- 
ginning to  fall  in  their  wake.  Farther  and 
farther  she  dropped  astern.  Alice  watched 
her  with  bitter  despair  and  chagrin.  Sud- 
denly she  saw  the  lofty  bows  swing  to  star- 
board. Soon  her  whole  port  side  was  ex- 
posed, and  in  another  moment  the  big  liner 
had  swung  around  on  her  course  and  was 
rapidly  disappearing  to  the  north.  As  she 
turned,  Alice  saw  a  man  wigwagging  with  a 
big  red  flag  from  the  end  of  her  flj^ng  bridge, 
but  she  was  too  dispirited  to  translate  the 
message.  Choking  down  a  sob,  she  hurried 
into  the  chart  house,  and  descended  to  her 
cabin. 

Craig  watched  her  go  with  an  expression 
in  which  sympathy  struggled  with  satisfac- 


60  The  Dominant  Chord 


tion.  He  bad  read  the  message  and  a  smile 
of  comprehension  had  gleamed  upon  his  fea- 
tures. "  Cannot  assist.  Will  report  you. 
Keep  up  courage.'* 


CHAPTEE  V 

THE   JAPANESE   IXAGGER 

As  Alice  began  to  recover  her  equanimity 
the  full  realization  of  her  situation  com- 
menced to  dawn  upon  her.  The  Sabine  had 
run  away  from  the  Prince  Karl  with  ease. 
Evidently  it  would  take  a  scout  cruiser  or  a 
destroyer  to  overhaul  her,  and  what  chance 
was  there  for  such  a  ship  to  find  them  upon 
the  pathless  waters  of  the  ocean?  She  had 
no  means  of  knowing  where  she  was  or 
whither  she  was  going,  and  no  means  of  com- 
municating that  knowledge  had  she  possessed 
it.  The  telltale  compass  overhead  still 
pointed  due  south,  it  is  true,  but  that  en- 
lightened her  only  in  a  general  way. 

With  no  one  on  board  to  whom  she  could 
appeal  she  felt  supremely  isolated  and  de- 
fenceless, but  as  she  grew  calmer  this  fact, 
instead  of  reducing  her  to  despair,  aroused 
her  natural  fighting  instinct.  Alone  and  un- 
aided and  with  only  a  woman's  weapons  she 

61 


62  The  Dominant  Chord 

told  herself  she  would  conquer  and  subdue 
this  man.  After  all  he  was  only  a  man,  and 
what  man  had  ever  been  able  to  withstand 
the  fascination  of  her  charms  ?  The  fact  that 
superficially  he  appeared  to  have  the  man- 
ners of  a  gentleman  only  made  him  the  more 
vulnerable.  Accustomed  as  she  had  been 
from  childhood  to  receive  the  homage  and 
attention  which  her  wealth  and  beauty 
evoked,  and  relying  upon  an  unbroken  series 
of  successes  in  school,  college  and  society, 
she  looked  forward  to  the  conflict,  if  not  with 
assurance,  at  least  with  confidence.  In  less 
than  a  week  she  would  have  the  mighty  Mr. 
Craig  at  her  feet.  He  might  be  **  the  mate, 
and  the  captain,  too,"  but  she  would  be  the 
one  to  give  the  orders.  Yet  when  she  re- 
called his  firm  set  jaw  and  the  keen  gray  eyes 
she  felt  that  she  had  a  task  cut  out  for  her. 
However,  if  man  is  the  proper  study  of  man- 
kind, he  is  eminently,  exhaustively  and  con- 
tinually the  study  of  woman,  and  Alice  felt 
that  she  knew  her  quarry. 

It  is  an  axiom  of  war  that  a  night  attack 
is  often  successful  where  an  assault  by  day- 


The  Japanese  Dagger 


light  would  fail.  Alice  determined  to  make 
her  first  advance  on  the  enemy's  entrench- 
ments after  dinner  when  her  adversary  might 
naturally  be  supposed  to  be  in  his  most  bea- 
tific and  plastic  mood.  As  her  stay  on  board 
the  Sabine  was  evidently  destined  to  be  of 
some  duration  she  decided  to  occupy  the  time 
before  her  attack  in  unpacking  her  trunks 
and  arranging  her  belongings.  As  she  delved 
among  the  mysteries  of  lace,  satin  and  lin- 
gerie she  fervently  thanked  the  fates  which 
had  provided  her  so  abundantly  with  the  ac- 
cessories necessary  to  carry  on  her  cam- 
paign. As  she  came  to  the  bottom  of  the  last 
trunk  she  discovered  tucked  down  in  one  cor- 
ner a  tiny  automatic  pistol  with  several  mag- 
azines of  cartridges.  With  a  cry  of  joy  she 
pounced  upon  it  and  thrust  it  into  a  secret 
pocket  in  her  skirt.  She  had  always  been 
accustomed  to  handling  firearms  and  the  pos- 
session of  this  little  gun  gave  her  a  sense 
of  security  which  she  had  not  felt  since  she 
found  herself  on  the  Sabine.  So  rapid  was 
the  rebound  of  her  spirits  that  as  she  moved 
about  in  the  boudoir,  giving  a  touch  here  and 


64  ,      The  Dominant  Chord 

there  to  its  arrangements  with  the  deftness 
which  is  the  exclusive  attribute  of  a  refined 
and  cultured  woman,  her  voice  unconsciously 
bubbled  forth  in  an  aria  from  one  of  her 
favourite  operas.  Craig,  in  the  chart  room 
above,  heard  it  and  wondered  at  the  sudden 
revulsion  in  her  feelings. 

As  darkness  fell,  Alice,  from  her  assort- 
ment of  dinner  and  ball  gowns,  selected  the 
weapon  she  would  use  in  her  preliminary 
assault  —  a  soft,  filmy,  clin^ng  affair  of  dull 
gold  which  displayed  all  the  superb  perfec- 
tion of  her  figure.  To  insinuate  herself  into 
this  elaborate  creation  of  the  modiste's  art 
without  the  assistance  of  her  maid  was  a  task 
of  no  small  magnitude,  but  feminine  ingenu- 
ity has  too  often  achieved  the  impossible  to 
be  balked  by  such  a  trifle  as  an  inaccessible 
hook  and  eye.  Having  carefully  arrayed 
herself  in  this  she  waited  until  she  thought 
that  Craig  must  have  finished  his  dinner,  and 
then,  with  a  heart  beating  somewhat  faster 
than  usual,  she  opened  the  library  door  and 
stepped  into  the  saloon. 

Craig  was  seated  by  the  table  apparently 


The  Japanese  Dagger  65 

lost  in  profound  tliouglit.  He  had  evidently 
just  been  cutting  the  leaves  of  a  magazine, 
for  the  book  lay  beside  him  on  the  table  and 
with  it  a  Japanese  dagger  which  he  had  been 
using  as  a  paper  cutter.  He  was  leaning 
slightly  forward  in  his  chair,  one  arm  rest- 
ing on  his  knee  while  the  other  supported  his 
chin.  His  face  was  turned  slightly  from  her. 
The  attitude,  the  expression,  the  clean-cut 
profile,  the  look  of  melancholy  abstraction, 
all  strongly  suggested  the  seated  figure  by 
Michael  Angelo  from  the  tomb  of  Lorenzo 
de  Medici  the  younger. 

Alice  paused  momentarily  to  study  this 
striking  and  unusual  countenance.  It  was  a 
face  of  extreme  refinement  as  well  as  of 
unusual  strength.  The  face  of  a  dreamer 
but  also  that  of  a  man  of  action.  Tenacity, 
initiative,  imagination  and  that  subtle  some- 
thing which  suggests  the  artistic  tempera- 
ment —  all  were  there. 

Despite  her  hatred  of  the  man  Alice  felt 
the  power  emanating  from  him,  the  magnet- 
ism of  his  personality  and,  for  the  moment, 
a  misgiving  as  to  her  final  success  smote  her. 


66  The  Dominant  Chord 

Banishing  the  feeUng  instantly  however,  she 
advanced  to  the  table.  The  quick  light  of 
admiration  which  leaped  into  Craig's  eyes  at 
sight  of  her  brought,  in  spite  of  herself,  the 
rich  blood  to  her  cheeks. 

*  *  You  are  radiantly  beautiful  this  evening, 
Miss  Huntington." 

**  Mr.  Craig,  you  appear  to  have  the  super- 
ficial attributes  of  a  gentleman;  I  think, 
under  the  circumstances,  you  might  at  least 
spare  me  your  compliments." 

"  How  can  you  expect  anything  different 
when  you  burst  upon  one  in  such  a  vision  of 
loveliness?  I  heard  you  singing  to-day.  One 
might  almost  imagine  that  you  had  won  this 
morning  instead  of  lost." 

Instantly  the  light  of  battle  flamed  in 
Alice's  eyes. 

*'  Mr.  Craig,  there  are  two  very  old  and 
trite  sayings  which  I  will  recall  to  you,  *  He 
laughs  best  who  laughs  last,'  and  *  The  race 
is  not  always  to  the  swift  nor  the  battle  to 
the  strong.'  " 

'*  Pardon  me  for  disagreeing  with  you,  but 
I  think  that  history  will  bear  me  out  in  say- 


The  Japanese  Dagger  67 

ing  that  the  battle  is  always  to  the  strong, 
though  one 's  strength  sometimes  lies  in  one 's 
weakness,  and  the  strength  of  the  intellect  is 
as  often  returned  the  victor  as  the  power  of 
brute  force.  The  strength  of  the  intellect  is 
apparent  in  the  choice  of  the  weapons  with 
which  you  attack  me  this  evening.  They  are 
very  effective." 

''It  was  very  considerate  or  perhaps  in- 
considerate in  you  to  provide  them.  I  con- 
fess I  am  curious.  I  should  like  to  know  how 
you  succeeded  in  doing  it. ' ' 

**  It  was  very  simple.  I  can  easily  tell  you. 
Some  years  ago  I  had  the  opportunity  of 
helping  a  young  fellow  out  of  a  very  serious 
scrape.  He  turned  out  to  be  the  brother  of 
your  maid.  When  I  conceived  the  idea  that 
a  sea  voyage  would  be  a  good  thing  for  your 
health  and  future  peace  of  mind,  I  went  to 
her,  and  in  consideration  of  the  old  debt  of 
gratitude  she  consented  to  help  me.  I  told 
her  that  some  of  your  friends  were  going  to 
get  you  away  on  a  short  cruise  as  a  surprise, 
and  asked  her  to  pack  such  things  as  you 
would  need.    I  remember  her  scorn  when  I 


68  The  Dominant  Chord 

said  a  trunk.  She  haughtily  informed  me 
that  a  lady  of  your  station  could  not  possibly 
travel  as  far  as  Jersey  City  with  only  one 
trunk,  and  insisted  that  it  was  impossible  for 
you  to  get  along  with  less  than  four.  Well, 
I  told  her  to  go  ahead,  mark  them  for  the 
yacht  Sabine  and  have  them  sent  to  the  Club 
House.  As  she  was  acting  in  your  name,  of 
course,  no  questions  were  asked,  and  it  was 
a  simple  matter  when  they  arrived  to  have 
them  brought  on  board." 

^*  A  simple  matter  truly.  I  think  I  shall 
have  something  to  say  to  Anna  when  I  get 
back." 

**  I  hope  you  will  not  be  severe.  She 
thought  she  was  acting  in  your  interests. 
However,  I  have  promised  to  stand  between 
her  and  your  wrath." 

**  You  take  a  great  deal  upon  yourself." 

**  One  must  in  these  days  if  one  wants  to 
succeed." 

"  Yon  are  evidently  a  genius  in  planning. 
If  I  am  not  too  curious,  perhaps  you  will  tell 
me  what  you  were  planning  just  now  when  I 
entered." 


The  Japanese  Dagger  69 

'*  The  emancipation  of  the  race." 
**  A  mighty  project  truly.     Perhaps  if  I 
may  be  allowed  to  suggest  it  would  be  more 
to  the  purpose  if  you  directed  a  portion  of 
your  thought  towards  the  emancipation  of 
one  defenceless  and  unprotected  woman." 
**  All  in  good  time  I  assure  you." 
"  Mr.  Craig,  do  you  realize  that  it  is  abso- 
lutely necessary  for  me  to  be  in  New  York 
by  the  first  of  next  week?  " 

**  Yes,  to  carry  out  your  contract  with  the 
Duke  of  Buckminster. " 
"  The  reason  concerns  only  myself." 
**  You  are  mistaken,  Miss  Huntington. 
The  reason  concerns  me,  and  every  other 
honest  man  who  respects  and  reverences  the 
womanhood  of  our  country.  I  shall  deserve 
the  approbation  of  every  true  American  in 
preventing  this  —  I  shall  not  call  it  interna- 
tional alliance — international  disgrace  would 
be  the  better  term;  and  prevent  it  I  will, 
regardless  of  the  fate  of  my  own  cherished 
desires.  You  have  pledged  yourself  to  a 
notorious  libertine  with  a  reputation  that 
spreads  over  the  length  and  breadth  of  two 


70  The  Dominant  Chord 

continents,  and  if  you  do  not  know  it  you 
ought  to  be  told.  You  have  sold  yourself, 
your  body  and  your  wealth,  to  a  broken- 
down,  world-worn  sprig  of  nobility,  and  for 
what  —  for  the  dearly  bought  right  to  wear 
a  coronet,  the  right  to  social  precedence,  the 
right  to  appear  in  court  circles,  to  be  talked 
of  as  one  of  the  first  ladies  of  a  degenerate 
society.  In  what  are  you  better  than  the 
women  of  the  street  who  sell  themselves  for 
money,  for  the  clothes  to  cover  their  naked- 
ness, for  a  night's  shelter?  In  what,  I  ask 
you,  are  you  better  than  they?  " 

Alice  was  struck  dumb  by  this  outburst. 
Never  in  all  her  life  had  anyone  dared  to 
address  such  words  to  her  before.  A  tense 
and  terrible  anger,  a  wild,  consuming  rage 
seemed  to  mount  within  her  as  she  listened. 
A  white  hot  iron  seemed  to  be  searing  her 
brain  back  of  her  eyeballs.  It  was  as  if  the 
lash  of  his  words  were  being  laid  upon  her 
naked,  quivering  soul.  As  she  grasped  at 
the  table  for  support,  her  hand  touched  the 
hilt  of  the  Japanese  knife.  Instinctively  her 
fingers  closed  around  it.    Her  vision  became 


The  Japanese  Dagger  71 

restricted,  her  surroundings  were  blotted  out 
by  a  black,  impenetrable  mist,  save  only  a 
luminous  circle  in  the  centre  through  which 
she  saw  Craig's  earnest  face  and  glowing 
eyes  looking  up  at  her  from  a  great  distance 
as  through  a  tunnel.  The  loose  collar  of  his 
flannel  shirt  was  rolled  away  from  his  throat, 
and  the  vital  current  could  be  seen  pulsating 
beneath  the  smooth  bronzed  skin.  The  pupils 
of  Alice's  eyes  contracted  to  glowing  points. 
Her  breath  came  in  laboured  gasps.  With  a 
low,  inarticulate  cry  she  grasped  the  knife, 
leaned  forward  and  struck  —  struck  full 
where  the  round,  smooth  column  of  the  neck 
merged  into  the  thorax.  Then  her  vision 
cleared  suddenly.  She  saw  the  startled  look 
leap  into  Craig's  eyes  as  he  leaned  quickly 
forward  to  intercept  her.  She  saw  the  point 
of  the  knife  enter  the  firm,  bronzed  flesh; 
saw  the  jet  of  crimson  which  leaped  forth  at 
the  touch  of  the  steel :  then  her  senses  reeled. 
Staggering  like  one  mortally  stricken  she 
gained  the  library,  dragged  to  the  door  and 
fell  in  a  senseless  heap  upon  the  hearth  rug. 


CHAPTEE   VI 

A   FIGHT   OF   HORKOB 

When  Alice  recovered  consciousness  she 
lay  for  some  time  in  a  dazed  stupor.  The 
library  was  flooded  with  a  soft  light  from 
the  luminous  panels  in  the  ceiling.  Not  a 
sound  broke  the  stillness.  Not  a  footfall 
resounded  on  the  deck  above.  Slowly  the 
incidents  of  the  terrible  episode  in  the  after 
saloon  came  back  to  her.  With  a  shudder  she 
dragged  herself  to  her  feet.  A  tiny  spot  of 
blood  showed  on  the  round,  white  flesh  of 
her  forearm.  Mechanically  she  moistened 
her  handkerchief  with  her  lips  and  rubbed  it 
off,  and  then  with  a  sudden  start  dropped 
the  filmy  square  of  lace  to  the  floor. 

The  triple  dial  of  the  clock  over  the  fire- 
place indicated  ten-thirty,  and  as  she  looked, 
the  chimes  slowly  and  solemnly  struck  the 
half  hour.  With  a  shudder  she  looked  toward 

the  library  door  and  saw  that  the  heavy  bolt 

72 


A  Night  of  Horror  73 

was  in  place;  then,  with  a  sudden  accession 
of  fear,  she  fled  through  the  apartments,  lock- 
ing every  door  behind  her  until  she  crouched, 
a  trembling,  terror-stricken  thing,  in  the  far- 
thest corner  of  the  lavatory. 

The  memory  of  that  night  of  slowly  dis- 
tilled horror  is  one  which  Alice  will  never 
forget.  Her  mind  and  body  seemed  to  be 
working  independently,  each  regarding  the 
other  as  some  strange  phenomenon  it  had 
never  encountered  before.  Violent  fits  of 
trembling  would  be  followed  by  long  periods 
when  she  would  sink  into  a  semi-conscious 
condition,  almost  approaching  a  swoon.  A 
dull  pain  seemed  to  be  gnawing  at  the  base 
of  her  brain. 

The  resplendent  goldfish  darting  about  in 
the  placid  pool  beneath  her  flashed  before 
unseeing  eyes.  The  soft  sheen  of  mother- 
of-pearl  glowed  before  unheeding  senses. 
The  face  given  back  to  her  from  the  long 
mirrors  was  one  she  did  not  know:  hollow, 
drawn,  and  ashen,  with  heavy  black  circles 
underneath  the  eyes.  She  turned  her  head 
away  from  it  with  a  shiver.    Her  right  hand 


74  The  Dominant  Chord 

was  stretched  from  her  as  if  to  remove  the 
rest  of  her  body  as  far  as  possible  from  its 
contaminating  touch.  At  intervals  she  would 
seize  a  towel  and  scrub  it  feverishly,  as  if 
to  remove  an  invisible  stain.  Like  a  hunted 
animal  her  eyes  wandered  continually  to  the 
door  as  though  she  expected  to  see  a  shape, 
impalpable  and  grisly,  materialize  through 
the  solid  panel. 

She  felt  that  she  was  going  mad.  As  the 
long  hours  dragged  away,  however,  her  mind 
gradually  became  calmer,  through  sheer  ina- 
bility of  the  senses  to  sustain  the  tension. 
To  her  strong  young  brain  the  power  of  self- 
command,  the  power  to  think  connectedly 
gradually  returned.  Yet  this  did  not  lessen 
the  horror  of  the  situation.  She  was  trapped 
in  her  rooms  by  that  terrible,  ghastly  thing 
in  the  after  cabin.  She  was  alone  in  mid- 
ocean,  on  a  craft  of  whose  method  of  control 
she  knew  nothing.  She  tried  to  tell  herself 
that  she  had  acted  in  self-defence,  that  she 
was  justified  in  using  any  weapon  at  her 
command,  but  she  knew  it  was  not  so.  She 
had  acted  in  the  blind  fury  his  scathing  ar- 


A  Night  of  Horror  75 

raignment  had  engendered.  She  had  struck 
in  the  fierce  tempest  of  passion  his  words  had 
lashed  into  being.  It  was  murder  —  nothing 
less  than  murder.  She  shuddered  violently 
as  her  thoughts  framed  the  word. 

Slowly  the  soft  gray  of  the  dawn  filtering 
through  the  skylight  above  drove  her  into 
action.  It  was  impossible  to  stay  where  she 
was,  she  must  gain  the  deck  at  all  costs, 
though  the  thought  of  passing  through  the 
cabin  gave  her  a  trembling  fit  that  lasted  for 
half  an  hour.  It  was  an  hour  before  she 
could  bring  herself  to  unfasten  the  bath  room 
door  and  several  before  she  could  force  her- 
self to  the  door  of  the  saloon.  At  last,  sum- 
moning all  her  courage,  she  opened  it  and 
looked  into  the  cabin.  It  was  empty.  As  she 
gazed  into  the  apartment  with  dilated,  un- 
comprehending eyes,  a  faint,  sweet  thread  of 
melody  reached  her  ears.  It  was  the  distant 
sound  of  a  violin  playing  the  ^'  Melody  in 
F."  Awe-stricken  and  with  shaking  knees 
she  followed  the  sound.  It  seemed  to  come 
from  the  innermost  recesses  of  a  suite  of 
rooms  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  ship  from 


76  The  Dominant  Chord 

her  own.  As  her  trembling,  outstretched 
hand  touched  the  knob  of  the  door  the  per- 
former paused  a  moment  and  then  launched 
into  a  brilliant  burst  of  pyrotechnics  from 
Paganini's  **  Concerto  for  the  G  string/* 
Alice  pushed  open  the  door.  Craig,  who  was 
at  the  further  end  of  the  room,  turned  and 
saw  her  white  face  framed  in  the  doorway. 
Laying  down  the  violin  he  hastened  toward 
her.  Alice  regarded  him  with  incredulous, 
unbelieving  eyes. 

*'  I  thought  I  had  killed  you!  '*  she  whis- 
pered in  a  hushed,  awe-stricken  voice,  **  I 
thought  I  had  killed  you !  " 

**  Oh,  no,  not  as  bad  as  that,"  laughed 
Craig. 

**  I  thought  I  had  kiQed  you!  **  she  re- 
peated. 

Craig  saw  that  she  was  completely  un- 
strung. 

"  Yon  must  sit  down  and  I  will  get 
you  something,"  he  commanded.  Placing  a 
hand  on  her  shoulder  he  drew  her  into  the 
room. 

Alice  yielded  to  him  weakly  like  a  child. 


A  Night  of  Horror  77 

Her  limbs  were  shaking  so  that  she  could 
hardly  support  herself. 

Craig  placed  her  in  the  depths  of  a  huge 
armchair,  and  going  to  the  cupboard  returned 
with  a  glass  of  port  wine  and  a  plate  of 
crackers. 

"  Here,  this  will  make  you  feel  better.'* 

**  Are  you  sure  you  are  not  dead?  "  Alice 
pleaded,  looking  up  at  him  wistfully. 

*'  Dead!  Of  course  not,"  laughed  Craig. 
*^  It  was  touch  and  go,  though.  You  missed 
the  carotid  artery  by  less  than  an  inch.  As 
it  was,  you  struck  over,  and  the  only  harm 
done  was  a  slash  across  the  shoulderblade. 
A  little  collodion  and  absorbent  cotton  fixed 
it  up  in  short  order." 

* '  How  thanHul !    How  thankful  I  am !  " 

*'  I  thought  you  knew,"  he  said  contritely. 
''  Not  for  the  world  would  I  have  let  you 
pass  through  the  night  under  such  an  impres- 
sion. ' ' 

**  OH,  it  was  horrible!  horrible!  "  Alice 
leaned  back  in  the  chair  and  closed  her  eyes. 

Craig  watched  her  with  a  glance  in  which 
sympathy  was  not  unmixed  with  satisfaction. 


78  The  Dominant  Chord 

To  remould  a  nature  it  is  often  necessary 
first  to  break  it. 

After  a  time,  under  the  stimulus  of  the 
wine,  Alice's  nerves  began  to  recover  their 
tone  suflSciently  to  enable  her  to  look  about. 

Craig's  apartments  were  decidedly  differ- 
ent from  her  own.  The  place  occupied  by  her 
library  and  boudoir  was  thrown  into  one  long 
room.  Through  a  door  at  the  further  end 
she  could  look  into  the  bedroom  and  bath,  all 
plain  and  severely  simple.  The  fittings  were 
of  white  enamel.  There  was  nothing  that 
suggested  a  den.  The  bed,  a  narrow  white 
iron  affair,  proclaimed  the  anchorite  rather 
than  the  voluptuary.  A  long  drawing  table 
occupied  one  end  of  the  largest  room.  A  few 
pieces  of  gymnastic  apparatus  were  fastened 
to  the  wall,  while  the  book  shelves,  which  oc- 
cupied the  recesses  in  the  partition,  were 
filled  with  technical  works,  among  which, 
books  on  hydraulic  and  electrical  engineer- 
ing seemed  to  predominate.  The  ornate 
magnificence  of  decoration  which  obtained  in 
the  suite  she  was  occupying  was  conspicu- 
ously absent. 


A  Night  of  Horror  79 

As  Alice 's  glance  travelled  over  the  simple 
furnishings  of  the  rooms  it  rested  on  the 
violin. 

"  I  wish  you  would  play  for  me,"  she  said 
simply.  ^*  I  think  it  would  make  me  feel 
better." 

**  I  would  gladly  but  I  am  such  a  wretched 
amateur.  If  you  feel  able  to  come  into  the 
saloon  I  will  let  you  listen  to  some  real 
music." 

Alice  acquiesced,  and  as  soon  as  she  was 
comfortably  ensconced  in  an  easy  chair, 
Craig  opened  a  cabinet  in  the  wall  which 
seemed  to  be  filled  with  rolls  of  perforated 
music. 

"  What  would  you  like?  "  he  asked,  *  The 
Tannhauser  Overture,'  or  *  A  Hot  Time  in 
the  Old  Town  To-night?  '  " 

"  Please  make  the  selection  yourself." 

Craig  studied  the  labels  for  a  moment,  and 
then  selected  a  roll  from  the  collection  and 
slipped  it  into  a  panel  in  the  wall.  In  a 
moment  the  saloon  was  flooded  with  the  mel- 
low, golden  tones  of  the  opening  movement 
of  the  Pastoral  Symphony.    The  whole  place 


80  The  Dominant  Chord 

seemed  to  be  bathed  in  a  shower  of  harmony; 
of  horns  and  strings  and  wood  wind,  and  of 
many  instruments  that  Alice  had  never  heard 
before  and  whose  character  she  could  not 
determine.  The  volume  of  sound  rose  and 
fell,  crescendoed  and  fell  again,  overflowing 
and  filling  every  nook  and  corner,  yet  never 
exceeding  the  acoustic  capacity  of  the  room. 
It  seemed  as  if  the  Symphony  were  being 
performed  by  an  orchestra  of  seraphims  just 
beyond  the  ceiling. 

"  What  is  it?  "  Alice  whispered. 

**  Why,  Beethoven's  *  Sixth  Symphony,'  " 
responded  Craig. 

"  Yes,  of  course,"  impatiently,  **  but  what 
is  the  instrument?  " 

**  Why,  that  is  the  Tel-orchestrion,"  re- 
plied Craig,  as  the  music  ceased.  *  *  It  might 
well  be  called  the  divine  harmony,  the  music 
of  the  spheres.  Have  you  never  heard  of 
it?" 

**  Never.  It  is  certainly  wonderful.  Please 
tell  me  about  it." 

**  The  music  you  have  heard  is  produced 
entirely  by  electricity.     Each  fundamental 


A  Night  of  Horror  81 

toue  is  formed  by  the  distinctive  hum  of  an 
alternating  dynamo.  By  combining,  building 
up  and  superimposing  the  tones  of  several 
machines  one  upon  the  other,  a  musical  note 
is  produced,  and  by  varying  the  selection  of 
the  over  tones  the  distinctive  timbre  of  any 
musical  instrument  can  be  reproduced,  and, 
in  fact,  the  tones  of  instruments  that  never 
have  and  never  will  exist.  The  enormous 
first  cost  of  the  plant  and  the  complicated 
problem  of  transmission  have  prevented  the 
commercial  development  of  the  idea  until 
wireless  transmission  of  power  came  along 
to  release  this  supreme  harmony  from  bond- 
age. I  expect  within  a  short  time  to  see  the 
Tel-orchestrion  displace  every  other  form  of 
music.  Human  fingers  can  never  hope  to 
acquire  the  power  and  flexibility  of  the  elec- 
tric current." 

"  But  there  is  a  pleasure  in  producing 
music  quite  apart  from  the  pleasure  of  hear- 
ing it,  don't  you  think  so?  If  not,  why  do 
you  devote  time  to  the  study  of  the  violin?  " 

"  What  you  say  is  true,  Miss  Huntington. 
There  is  a  pleasure  in  producing  good  music. 


82  The  Dominant  Chord 

and  there  will  always  be  musicians  who  will 
study  our  known  instruments  for  the  pleas- 
ure their  own  performances  give  them,  but  I 
believe  that  the  professional  concert  wiU  soon 
be  a  thing  of  the  past.  We  will  all  be  ama- 
teurs, that  is,  those  of  us  who  are  not  dis- 
couraged by  having  the  acme  of  perfection 
constantly  before  us." 

**  It  is  wonderful!  certainly  wonderful! 
But  how  can  you  install  such  a  battery  of 
machines  on  a  ship  like  this?  " 

*  *  The  dynamos  that  generate  these  sounds, 
Miss  Huntington,  are  hundreds  of  miles  from 
here.  The  current  is  brought  to  the  producer 
by  wireless.  There  is  a  producer  in  your 
apartment.  If  you  wish,  I  will  show  you  how 
to  operate  it." 

"  Thank  you,  you  are  very  kind." 

**  By  the  way.  Miss  Huntington,  would  you 
like  to  communicate  with  your  father?  It 
occurs  to  me  that  they  are  probably  getting 
somewhat  anxious  about  you  at  home." 

Craig's  remark  suddenly  recalled  to  Alice 
a  fact  which  she  had  temporarily  lost  sight 
of,  —  she  was  a  prisoner  here.    She  had  been 


A  Night  of  Horror 


holding  an  intimate  and  friendly  conversa- 
tion with  her  jailer.  Her  anger  rose  swiftly 
at  the  thought,  but  diplomacy  constrained  her 
to  control  it.    She  replied  simply : 

''  Is  it  possible?  " 

'*  Certainly.  If  the  tones  of  a  violin  or  an 
oboe  can  be  transmitted  for  hundreds  of 
miles,  the  tones  of  the  human  voice  can  be 
transmitted  with  equal  facility.  If  you  will 
go  into  your  library  I  will  give  you  the  con- 
nection. ' ' 

Alice  retired  to  the  library.  Hardly  had 
she  closed  the  intervening  door  when  she 
heard  a  harsh,  familiar  grinding  sound ;  then 
a  strident  voice,  which  seemed  to  come  from 
the  ceiling,  inquired:  — 

"  What  number,  Courtland?  " 

She  was  so  startled  that  the  question  had 
to  be  repeated  before  she  recovered  her  wits. 

"  What  number,  Courtland?  Anything  the 
matter  with  this  line  ?  ' ' 

"  Oh,  yes.  No,  I  mean.  Give  me  Broad 
9763." 

''Hello,  Broad!  Give  me  9763.  What? 
AU  right." 


84  The  Dominant  Chord 

There  was  a  pause  for  a  moment,  and  then 
Alice  heard  a  deep  masculine  voice  which 
she  immediately  recognized  as  that  of  her 
father. 

'*  Hello! '» 

**  Oh,  father!  father,  dear!  It  is  I, — 
Alice.    Listen  to  me." 

*' Alice,  what  the  d — ^1!  What  does  this 
mean?  Where  are  you?  Don't  you  know 
that  you  have  had  us  about  distracted  for 
the  last  two  days?  George  has  been  sending 
a  dozen  times  a  day  to  learn  if  we  have  heard 
anything.  The  poor  fellow  is  all  broken  up 
with—" 

"  Father,  dear!  Listen.  I  am  a  prisoner. 
I  was  chloroformed  on  the  way  home  from 
the  opera  and  carried  on  board  a  ship." 

**  The  infernal  scoundrels!  How  did  you 
get  away?    Where  are  you  now?  " 

"  I  didn't  get  away.  We  are  at  sea. 
Where,  I  do  not  know,  except  that  we  are 
apparently  steering  south.  I  am  talking  to 
you  by  wireless." 

**  Wireless!    Are  you  sure?  " 

**  Positively.     Listen,  father.     You  must 


A  Night  of  Horror  85 

send  a  warship  after  us.  Send  a  fast  one; 
the  fastest  there  is.  Yesterday  we  were 
chased  by  a  liner,  the  Prince  Karl,  and  we 
beat  her  to  a  froth. ' ' 

''  To  a  what?  " 

**  I  mean  we  distanced  her  completely.  I 
signalled  to  her  as  she  was  passing. ' ' 

**  But  what  does  it  all  mean?  Who  are  the 
parties  responsible  for  this?  " 

*'  There  is  only  one  man  in  it,  his  name  is 
Craig." 

*'  But  what  is  his  object?  What  does  he 
want?  Is  he  holding  you  for  ransom?  Find 
out  his  price.  We  must  have  you  back  at  any 
cost. ' ' 

' '  He  is  not  after  money.  He  —  he  says  he 
loves  me." 

^'  Loves  you !  damn  him !  If  I  ever  get  my 
hands  on  him !  ' ' 

"  Father,  you  must  not  talk  so.  He  is 
really  rather  remarkable;  not  at  all  the  sort 
of  person  you  would  expect.  If  it  was  not  for 
this  wretched  affair,  and  the  fact  that  he  an- 
gers me  so,  I  think  I  might  have  liked  him. 
He  infuriated  me  so  last  night  that  I  almost 


86  The  Dominant  Chord 

killed  him.    I  stabbed  at  him  with  a  paper- 
cutter." 

*  *  Good !  I  wish  you  had.  *  * 

"  I  am  glad  I  didn't.  It  was  horrible,  and 
afterwards  —  ' ' 

"  Well,  enough  of  that;  it  will  show  him 
what  stuff  the  Huntingtons  are  made  of  any- 
way." 

**  Father,  you  must  use  your  influence  to 
get  a  warship  started  after  us  at  once.    The 
boat  is  named  the  Sahine.    She  is  a  —  " 
■  "  Finished?  " 

'*  Get  off  the  line,  Central,  will  youf  I  am 
talking. ' ' 

''  Well,  your  party  has  gone.  What  num- 
ber were  you  talking  with  ?  ' ' 

**  Broad  9763." 

**  Well,  I  will  call  you  if  I  can  get 
them." 

Alice  waited,  but  there  was  no  further  re- 
sponse. She  stamped  her  foot  in  impotent 
rage.  There  was  no  bell  to  ring.  Not  even 
a  hook  to  rattle.  Evidently  Craig  had  de- 
cided that  she  had  communicated  quite 
enough  information  and  had  broken  the  con- 


A  Night  of  Horror  87 

nection.  To  control  her  indignation  she 
selected  a  volume  of  Scott's  from  the  book- 
shelves and  tried  to  lose  herself  in  the  trials 
and  tribulations  of  the  fair  Rebecca. 


CHAPTEE   Vn 

A   FLAG   OF   TRUCE 

When  Alice  appeared  on  deck  the  next 
morning  it  was  long  after  sunrise.  On  her 
breakfast  table  she  had  found  a  great  bunch 
of  fresh  violets  and  the  New  York  papers  of 
the  day  before.  The  Sahine  had  evidently 
slipped  into  some  port  under  cover  of  the 
night.  The  papers  were  principally  devoted 
to  sensational  accounts  of  her  disappearance 
and  the  remarkable  despatch  which  had  come 
by  wireless  of  the  exciting  but  unsuccessful 
chase  of  a  mysterious  motor  boat  by  the  liner 
Prince  Karl. 

On  rising  Alice  had  unconsciously  thrust 
the  violets  into  her  corsage,  but  their  odour, 
recalling  the  big  mass  of  flowers  she  was 
accustomed  to  receive  daily  from  the  Duke, 
made  her  aware  of  her  action,  and  she  re- 
moved them  and  placed  them  back  on  the 
table.    And  this  man  loved  her,  too.    "Well, 

88 


A  Flag  of  Truce  89 

there  was  nothing  unusual  in  that.  She  won- 
dered at  the  thought  occurring  to  her.  So 
the  Duke  was  inquiring  a  dozen  times  a  day 
to  see  if  anything  had  been  learned  regard- 
ing her  whereabouts.  She  wondered  idly  if 
Craig,  under  similar  conditions,  would  have 
confined  himself  to  inquiries.  But  then  Craig 
was  an  entirely  different  sort  of  person,  she 
told  herself.  Suddenly  she  realized  that  she 
had  been  instituting  comparisons.  She 
flushed  angrily  and  put  on  her  jacket  pre- 
paratory to  going  on  deck.  Why  should  Mr. 
Craig's  actions  under  any  circumstances  have 
any  possible  interest  for  her?    Why,  indeed? 

She  reached  the  chart  house  just  as  the 
subject  of  these  cogitations  was  finishing  the 
task  of  taking  the  morning  observation. 

'*  We  are  in  latitude  47°  50'  north;  longi- 
tude 76°  20'  west,"  he  announced  casually  as 
he  stepped  in  from  the  deck.  **  I  hope  you 
rested  well  last  night,  Miss  Huntington.  Let 
us  see  how  we  are  on  the  comparison."  He 
stepped  to  the  table  as  he  spoke  and  turned 
a  switch. 

Alice   instantly   saw   that    the   table   top, 


90  The  Dominant  Chord 

which  she  had  supposed  to  be  of  oak,  was, 
in  reality,  a  heavy  sheet  of  plate  glass. 
Under  it,  and  illuminated  from  beneath,  was 
a  large  chart  of  the  North  Atlantic  on  the 
Mercator  projection.  The  ocean  was  shown 
in  deep  blue,  while  the  coast  lines,  parallels 
and  meridians  appeared  as  of  white  enamel. 
A  zigzag  white  line  with  small  white  dots  at 
intervals,  which  started  from  New  York  and 
ran  in  a  general  southerly  direction  to  a 
point  off  Cape  Hatteras,  was  terminated  by 
a  tiny  luminous  point.  Craig  consulted  the 
chart  attentively. 

**  Very  good,"  he  announced,  "  only  six 
seconds  out  of  the  way.  Are  you  interested 
in  nautical  devices.  Miss  Huntington?  This 
is  the  telautographic  chart.  The  tablet  on 
which  the  Sabine  automatically  records  her 
wanderings." 

**  It  looks  quite  interesting,"  remarked 
Alice,  "  how  is  it  operated?  " 

Craig  made  an  adjustment  to  bring  the 
pointer  into  coincidence  with  his  observation 
and  then  replied: 

'  *  There  is  nothing  particularly  intricate  in 


A  Flag  of  Truce  91 

the  idea.  It  is  merely  the  adaption  of  the 
telautograph  to  the  wireless  transmission  of 
power.  We  have  established  two  experi- 
mental stations  to  test  its  capabilities  in  the 
North  Atlantic,  one  near  Cape  Henry  and 
one  on  the  coast  of  Spain.  The  current  which 
we  receive  from  each  varies  directly  with  the 
distance  and  acts  on  the  solenoids  which  con- 
trol the  arms  of  the  telautograph,  causing  the 
pointer  to  travel  over  the  chart  in  precisely 
the  same  path  that  the  Sahine  travels  over 
the  ocean." 

"  How  interesting.  I  should  think  that 
such  a  device  perfected  would  put  the  pro- 
fessional navigator  out  of  business." 

''  Not  entirely.  The  cautious  and  careful 
commander  would  always  want  to  check  his 
telautographic  position  with  an  observation 
whenever  possible,  and,  besides,  even  with  a 
perfected  device  there  would  always  be  the 
error  incident  to  the  representation  of  the 
curved  surface  of  the  earth  on  a  plane  to  be 
compensated  for.  However,  it  is  a  long  way 
ahead  of  dead  reckoning." 

**  I  should  think  it  would  be.    But  if  I  am 


92  The  Dominant  Chord 

not  too  curious  I  should  like  to  know  how  you 
steer  and  control  the  craft.  I  can  see  no 
wheel  or  anything.  I  confess  I  am  mysti- 
fied." 

"  It  is  all  very  simple.  You  see  our  hin- 
nacle  here?  This  pointer  attached  to  the 
compass  card  and  swinging  with  it  acts 
through  relays  on  the  electrical  steering 
apparatus.  Whenever  the  pointer  swings  to 
one  side  or^the  other  of  the  '  lubber's  point,' 
it  produces  a  corresponding  correcting  angle 
of  the  helm  which  brings  the  ship  back  on 
her  course  again.  If  you  wanted  to  steer  a 
course  due  south,  as  we  are  now,  it  is  merely 
necessary  to  turn  the  pointer  to  the  south 
point  on  the  compass  card,  and  the  compass 
does  the  rest.  The  outer  "circumference  is,  as 
you  see,  adjusted  to  allow  correction  for  the 
magnetic  variation  so  that  you  can  always 
steer  a  true  course." 

**  But  I  always  supposed  that  electric  cur- 
rents around  a  compass  affected  the  needle." 

**  So  they  do;  but  the  material  of  which 
this  is  made  is  a  new  discovery  and  under 
certain  conditions  is  an  absolute  insulator  to 


A  Flag  of  Truce  9S 

electric  fields,  so  that  the  compass  needle  is 
not  affected." 

"  But  you  certainly  would  not  trust  the 
entire  control  of  a  ship  to  a  device  like 
that?  " 

"  Why  not?  Of  course  in  restricted  waters 
steering  would  have  to  be  done  by  hand,  that 
is  why  the  knob  is  provided  on  the  after  end 
of  the  pointer.  In  such  case  you  would  sim- 
ply use  the  pointer  as  a  wheel  or  any  other 
steering  device  is  used,  but  in  the  open  ocean 
it  is  quite  competent  to  take  care  of  itself." 

"  But  what  would  happen  if  you  met  an- 
other ship?  You  cannot  expect  everyone  to 
get  out  of  your  way.  There  are  rules  of  the 
road  to  be  respected." 

**  We  met  a  steamer  yesterday.  We  were 
directly  in  her  course,  but  there  was  no  col- 
lision." 

''  That  was  luck  and  you  were  on  deck  to 
look  out  for  it. ' ' 

"  No,  Miss  Huntington,  it  was  not  luck  and 
I  did  not  interfere.  The  emergency  which 
you  suggest  is  provided  for,  but  I  shall  have 
to  leave  the  explanation  of  it  for  another 


94  The  Dominant  Chord 

time.  From  the  looks  of  the  barometer  I 
should  say  that  we  are  in  for  a  storm." 

As  Alice  looked  through  the  windows  of 
the  pilot  house  she  saw  that  the  indications 
looked  portentous.  The  few  wisps  of  light, 
diaphanous,  cirrus  clouds  of  the  preceding 
morning  had  concentrated  in  the  south  until 
a  heavy,  murky  veil  was  formed  which  was 
rapidly  mounting  upward  and  obscuring  the 
zenith.  The  wind  was  taking  on  force  and 
weight  with  every  puff,  and  the  ocean  was 
stirring  with  that  restless,  uneasy  heave 
which  indicates  a  distant  commotion  on  its 
waters. 

Craig  had  mounted  to  the  forecastle  deck 
to  study  the  signs  of  the  weather,  and  as 
Alice  watched  him  she  could  not  but  observe 
his  alert,  erect  carriage,  and  the  easy  grace 
of  his  movements.  Towering  over  six  feet, 
his  well  proportioned,  muscular  figure  did 
not  give  the  impression  of  great  size  until 
one  stood  beside  him.  Physically,  Alice  was 
forced  to  admit,  the  Duke  showed  rather 
poorly  in  comparison.  She  caught  herself 
up  as  she  found  her  brain  again  drawing 


A  Flag  of  Truce  95 

parallels.  There  was  a  dominant  personality 
about  the  man  that  compelled  her  attention  in 
spite  of  herself.  To  escape  from  her  reflec- 
tions she  stepped  out  on  to  the  deck  and 
joined  him.  The  Sabine  was  driving  through 
the  swell  with  th^  smooth,  gliding  motion 
peculiar  to  the  craft,  throwing  the  water 
from  either  bow  in  great  sheets  of  spray. 

'  *  This  is  a  most  remarkable  craft  of  yours, 
Mr.  Craig;  there  is  absolutely  no  motion  to 
her.    It  is  almost  like  riding  on  rails." 

Craig  laughed.  '*  That  is  due  to  the  steady- 
ing power  of  the  gyrostats.  In  conducting 
laboratory  experiments  it  is  sometimes  neces- 
sary to  have  a  steady  floor  to  work  on.  I 
had  them  installed  to  give  her  the  necessary 
stability.  The  sea  is  rising  fast,  however. 
I  am  afraid  that  we  shall  not  be  able  to  keep 
them  running  much  longer." 

As  Craig  spoke,  the  Sabine  drove  her  nose 
into  the  side  of  a  great  green  wall  of  water, 
which  poured  over  the  turtle-back  deck  and 
struck  the  breakwater  in  a  solid  mass  of 
foam.  The  little  craft  shivered  in  all  her 
parts.    Craig  hastily  drew  Alice  within  the 


96  The  Dominant  Chord 

shelter  of  the  chart  house  as  the  next  green 
mountain  came  tumbing  aft  over  the  decks. 

**  That  is  what  they  would  call  down  on 
Cape  Cod  *  a  Nantucket  sleigh  ride;  '  they 
usually  come  in  threes.  I  guess  we  shall  have 
to  ease  her." 

Craig  opened  a  cabinet  and  pulled  several 
switches,  and  soon  the  Sabine  was  rising 
easily  to  the  seas,  riding  them  duck  fashion 
instead  of  burying  her  nose  in  the  side  of 
each  oncoming  comber.  When  Craig  went 
below  to  prepare  dinner  the  motion  had  be- 
come so  violent  that  Alice,  good  sailor  though 
she  was,  was  beginning  to  show  the  effects 
of  it.  She  felt  herself  growing  pale,  and  the 
awful  sinking  of  her  stomach  warned  her  of 
what  was  coming.  In  an  effort  to  stave  ofi 
the  inevitable  she  dragged  herself  to  the 
after  door  of  the  chart  house  in  the  hope 
that  the  air  would  revive  her. 

Craig,  returning,  saw  at  a  glance  the  situ- 
ation. "  I  have  to  report  that  luncheon  is 
served,"  he  announced  formally. 

"  Luncheon!  Oh,  don't  mention  it." 

"  Are  you  not  going  to  partake?    The  lob- 


A  Flag  of  Truce  97 

ster  salad  is  fine,  if  I  did  make  it  myself,  and 
the  fried  oysters  are  delectable. ' ' 

*'  You  are  perfectly  beastly.  Please  go 
away  and  let  me  alone. ' ' 

**  I  don't  suppose  there  is  any  illness  that 
commands  less  sympathy  than  mal  de  mer/' 
he  laughed,  "  but  I  haven't  any  desire  to 
torture  you  unnecessarily.  I  guess  we  will 
have  to  submerge." 

"  To  what?  " 

**  Submerge.  Go  below.  Explore,  if  you 
will,  the  recesses  of  '  Davie  Jones'  Locker.'  " 

Craig  closed  a  switch  as  he  spoke,  and 
instantly  the  three  doors  of  the  chart  house 
slid  into  place.  The  springing  of  the  panels 
showed  that  they  were  being  forced  into  their 
sockets  by  an  enormous  pressure. 

Alice,  looking  forward,  saw  the  bows  of  the 
Sabine  settle  heavily  into  the  crest  of  a  wave. 
The  next  one  drove  over  her  and  struck  the 
chart  house  windows,  a  solid  mass  of  water. 
The  next  enveloped  them  in  a  gloom  from 
which  they  did  not  emerge. 

Alice  sprang  to  her  feet  in  alarm. 

"  Do  not  be  disturbed,"  said  Craig,  as  he 


98  The  Dominant  Chord 

switched  on  the  light  in  the  luminous  ceiling, 
* '  there  is  no  danger. ' ' 

**  But  the  windows!  The  glass  will 
break!  " 

The  panes  were  indeed  buckling  in,  their 
rounded  surfaces  showing  the  extent  of  the 
pressure  outside. 

*'  That  is  not  glass,"  replied  Craig  reas- 
suringly. "  Those  windows  have  many  times 
the  strength  of  steel  and  the  elasticity  of 
pure  India  rubber.  They  would  stretch  until 
they  filled  this  entire  room  before  they  would 
crack.  We  are  only  down  about  forty  feet 
anyway,"  he  continued,  consulting  the  pres- 
sure gauge  glass.  **  I  will  send  her  down 
about  twenty  feet  more  to  be  sure  nothing 
hits  us,  and  then  we  will  have  luncheon. 
Do  you  think  you  could  eat  something 
now?  " 

With  submergence  the  disquieting  motion 
of  the  Sabine  entirely  ceased.  The  wave  dis- 
turbances of  the  most  violent  storm  would 
never  reach  to  the  depth  they  had  attained. 
Alice  felt  herself  rapidly  recovering  from 
her  indisposition. 


A  Flag  of  Truce  99 

*'  How  long  is  it  possible  to  stay  down  I  " 
she  inquired. 

**  Oh,  we  could  remain  submerged  for  from 
twelve  to  twenty  hours  without  resorting  to 
the  air  flasks.  By  having  recourse  to  our 
reserve  supply  it  would  be  possible  to  remain 
submerged  for  several  days,  if  necessary. ' ' 

Alice  was  reflecting  on  the  possibility  of 
being  rescued  from  a  craft  that  could  dis- 
tance a  liner  with  ease  and  could  sink  to  the 
unexplored  depths  of  the  ocean  at  will.  She 
had  to  admit  that  the  prospect  did  not  appear 
rosy.  Evidently  it  was  to  be  a  duel  to  the 
death  between  them,  and  the  stronger  spirit 
would  win. 

*'  Would  you  like  an  opportunity  to  study 
the  submarine  world?  '*  Craig  continued. 

Alice  expressed  her  assent  and  Craig  shut 
off  the  light  from  the  ceiling.  For  a  moment 
they  were  shrouded  in  a  black,  impenetrable 
gloom,  and  then  a  long  gleam  of  radiance, 
a  dazzling  beam  or  pencil  of  light  shot  out 
from  the  roof  of  the  pilot  house. 

Standing  beside  Craig  in  the  semi-gloom 
of  the  chart  house,  Alice  looked  down  this 


100  The  Dominant  Chord 

brilliant  lane  of  light,  and  observed  the  move- 
ments of  the  curious  denizens  of  the  deep 
which  were  attracted  by  its  glare.  A  school 
of  frightened,  flying  fish,  like  a  shower  of 
silver  spangles,  came  tumbling  down  the 
golden  pathway,  beating  their  frail  bodies 
against  the  panes  of  the  windows  in  a  vain 
effort  to  escape  their  pursuing  foes.  Dog 
fish  and  many-hued  dolphins  shot  swiftly  by 
in  pursuit.  The  great  shadow  of  a  huge 
hammerhead  shark  loafed  casually  across 
their  path,  nosing  the  railing  of  the  pilot 
house  with  an  inquisitive  insouciance.  A 
magnificent  tarpon  sheathed  in  his  armour 
of  silver  plates  flashed  by  them  in  a  wanton 
burst  of  speed  as  if  vaingloriously  to  show 
that  in  this  element  he  alone  was  king. 

Alice,  absorbed  in  the  contemplation  of 
these  wonders,  suddenly  felt  something  im- 
pending; the  atmosphere  seemed  to  have 
become  tense  and  highly  charged;  her  wom- 
an's intuition,  that  strange  sixth  sense  of  the 
feminine,  had  unaccountably  taken  alarm. 
Stepping  quickly  back  she  spoke  in  a  sharp, 
staccato  voice :  — 


A  Flag  of  Truce  101 

"  Please,  —  Mr.  Craig,  —  turn  up  the  light, 
—  I  have  seen  enough. ' ' 

Craig  complied  immediately.  He  was  un- 
accountably pale,  and  the  hand  which 
dropped  from  the  switch  trembled  percep- 
tibly. 

As  Alice  retired  to  her  apartment  her 
heart  was  beating  rapidly,  and  her  smooth, 
white  forehead  was  wrinkled  in  a  thoughtful 
frown. 


CHAPTER   Vin 

A  PASSAGE   AT  ABMS 

When  Craig  entered  the  saloon  that  eve- 
ning Alice  was  seated  at  the  piano  running 
desultorily  through  Raff's  beautiful  bit  of 
tone- weaving,  '*  The  Spinning  Song."  She 
looked  up  as  he  entered. 

**  When  are  you  going  to  take  me  back  to 
New  York?  "  she  asked. 

*  *  When  you  decide  to  become  Mrs.  Gordon 
Craig  instead  of  the  Duchess  of  Buckmin- 
ster." 

Alice's  lips  tightened. 

**  I  was  beginning  to  hope  that  you  were 
a  gentleman  in  spite  of  the  lawless  nature 
of  your  occupation.    I  see  you  are  not. ' ' 

**  Gentleman  is  a  much  abused  term  now- 
adays, Miss  Huntington.  I  remember  read- 
ing once  that  a  gentleman  was  easily  dis- 
tinguished by  the  fact  that  he  always  and 
invariably  wore  Md  gloves.     If  that  were 

102 


A  Passage  at  Arms  103 

true  I  certainly  should  merit  your  stric- 
tures.'* 

**  It  pleases  you  to  be  facetious." 

"  At  all  events,  Miss  Alice,  if  I  am  not  a 
gentleman  I  am  at  least  a  man  and  not  a 
tailor's  model." 

**  Neither  is  the  Duke  of  Buckminster," 
replied  Alice  hotly. 

**  I  did  not  suggest  the  Duke,"  smiled 
Craig,  **  but  I  see  you  have  followed  out  the 
inference  to  its  logical  conclusion." 

Fire  smouldered  in  Alice's  eyes. 

**  I  had  thought  I  was  merely  indifferent 
to  you.  I  perceive  that  I  am  going  to  hate 
you, ' '  she  replied  slowly,  and  with  conviction. 

"It  is  quite  possible  that  you  may  hate 
me.  I  think,  however,  that  ultimately  you 
will  love  me." 

*' Never!  " 

**  You  certainly  will  not  remain  indiffer- 
ent." 

"  I  shall  never  love  you.  Never!  Never!*' 

^'  1  see  you  appreciate  the  value  of  repeti- 
tion in  impressing  a  thought  upon  the  sub- 
conscious mind.    Would  it  be  presuming  in 


104  The  Dominant  Chord 

me  to  inquire  if  your  resolution  requires  such 
fortifying  at  this  early  stage  of  the  proceed- 
ings! ** 

**  You  would  be  exasperating  if  you  were 
not  so  trivial.  Seriously,  Mr.  Craig,  do  you 
for  a  moment  suppose  that  any  woman  would 
consider  the  proposals  of  a  man  of  whom  she 
knew  absolutely  nothing;  to  whom  she  had 
not  even  been  introduced?  '* 

"  I  introduced  myself." 

*'  And  you  introduced  a  number  of  other 
objectionable  features  into  my  life  at  the 
same  time." 

"  Among  which  are?  " 

**  Constraint,  confinement,  and  not  the 
least,  the  aflfliction  of  having  to  listen  to  your 
sentimentalities. ' ' 

*'  I  am  glad  you  did  not  include  the  loss 
of  the  society  of  his  Grace  of  Buckminster  in 
your  list." 

"  I  have  told  you  that  that  is  a  subject  in 
which  you  can  have  no  possible  concern." 

**  Not  now.  I  dismissed  his  Lordship  from 
my  scheme  of  things  the  moment  we  struck 
blue  water.    In  less  than  a  month  you  will 


A  Passage  at  Arms  105 

find  that  you  have  done  the  same.  Indeed, 
I  will  wager  that  you  have  not  thought  of 
him  to-day. ' ' 

Alice 's  eyes  blazed  in  suppressed  fury.  It 
was  indeed  true.  In  the  crowding  events  of 
the  last  forty-eight  hours  the  Duke  had  been 
almost  obliterated  from  her  thoughts. 

''  I  see  by  the  papers,"  went  on  Craig 
easily,  "  that  the  strain  is  proving  too  much 
for  his  Grace.  His  physicians  have  ordered 
him  to  Florida  on  a  shooting  trip  to  escape 
the  worry  and  the  reporters.  Looks  rather 
like  retreating  under  fire,  but  I  suppose  the 
delicate  sensibilities  of  the  scion  of  nobility 
must  be  protected  at  all  costs. ' ' 

Alice  bit  her  lip,  but  remained  silent. 

*'  To  return  to  the  subject  of  introduc- 
tions," Craig  continued,  "  if  that  is  the  only 
thing  which  stands  in  the  way  of  a  better 
understanding,  I  will  relieve  your  mind  by 
informing  you  that  I  was  formally  presented 
to  you  at  the  Embassy  Ball  in  Washington 
three  years  ago,  when  you  were  having  your 
first  introduction  into  society.  I  recall  that 
on  that  momentous  occasion  you  regarded  me 


106  The  Dominant  Chord 

with  the  same  personal  and  vivid  interest 
that  you  extended  to  the  figures  on  the  tapes- 
try hangings. '  * 

**  You  apparently  received  all  the  consid- 
eration you  deserved/*  replied  Alice  icily. 

**  All  that  you  thought  I  deserved,  at  any 
rate.  My  name  was  not  emblazoned  in  the 
bright  lexicon  of  society  in  those  days.** 

*'  Nor  is  now,  nor  ever  shall  be.** 

**  Probably  not.  I  support  the  aflBiction 
with  commendable  equanimity,  however.  At 
any  rate,  it  was  on  that  occasion  I  deter- 
mined that  you  should  be  my  wife.  *  * 

*'  Apparently  you  have  lost  nothing  in 
presumption  in  the  interval.  You  will  have 
ample  time  in  the  future  to  reconsider  your 
determination.*' 

"  I  shall  not  reconsider  it.  On  the  con- 
trary, I  reiterate  it  with  emphasis  and  con- 
viction.   You  shall  be  my  wife. '  * 

"  I  beg  to  assure  you  that  you  are  quite 
mistaken,**  replied  Alice  coldly.  "  I  shall 
never  be  your  wife.  You  seem  to  think,  Mr. 
Craig,  that  all  you  have  to  do  is  to  strike  the 
dominant  chord  and  I  will  fill  in  the  harmony 


A  Passage  at  Arms  107 

to  any  theme  you  may  choose  to  elabo- 
rate. ' ' 

*'  Harmony,**  rejoined  Craig,  with  lifted 
eyebrows,  ''  I  fear  your  present  conception 
of  harmony  is  rather  Wagnerian.  Your  sug- 
gestion of  the  power  of  the  dominant  chord 
is  a  good  one,  however.  I  hope  the  time  will 
soon  come  when  the  dominant  chord  in  your 
life,  the  one  that  draws  you  the  strongest, 
will  be  the  one  which  draws  you  to  me. ' ' 

*'  Really,  Mr.  Craig,  for  a  pirate,  a  bold 
buccaneer,  a  lawless  sailor  of  the  seas,  a  cap- 
tor of  weak  and  defenceless  women,  you  are 
growing  tiresome,  positively  tiresome.  With 
your  permission  I  will  retire.  I  wish  to  see 
if  your  library  contains  anything  that  is 
really  thrilling. '  * 

Craig  watched  her  go  with  eyes  that  openly 
proclaimed  their  admiration.  Then  he  se- 
lected a  cigar  from  the  casket  on  the  table 
and  bending  over  his  drafting  board  was  soon 
absorbed  in  the  profound  study  of  the  draw- 
ing which  was  growing  under  his  hand. 


CHAPTER   IX 

A   DISCOVEEY   AND   AN   ADVENTUBE 

It  was  at  an  unusually  early  hour  that 
Alice  appeared  on  deck  the  following  morn- 
ing. The  sun  had  hardly  risen  from  his 
ocean  bed,  and  the  last  black  shadows  had 
not  wholly  disappeared  below  the  western 
horizon,  when  she  appeared  in  the  observa- 
tion house.  She  had  hoped  to  forestall  Craig 
and  have  an  hour  or  two  to  rummage  among 
the  mysteries  of  this  most  mysterious  chart 
room,  but  on  looking  out  on  to  the  deck  she 
saw  that  he  had  already  preceded  her.  He 
was  standing  at  the  rail  looking  idly  astern, 
as  though  he  were  waiting  for  something. 
Alice  noticed  that  a  short  boat-boom  with  a 
bronze  ball  on  the  end  had  been  rigged  out 
from  the  starboard  gangway.  A  boat-crane 
was  also  in  place  at  the  rail,  ready  for  use. 
Alice's  curiosity  was  at  once  aroused. 

Craig  was  apparently  expecting  someone, 

108 


A  Discovery  and  an  Adventure      109 

but  whomf  Not  a  vessel  was  in  sight.  Not 
even  the  shadow  of  the  land  loomed  on  the 
horizon.  As  she  stood  within  the  shelter  of 
the  chart  house  watching,  the  deep  tones  of 
the  cathedral  chimes  came  faintly  to  her  ears. 
Craig  evidently  heard  them  too,  for  he  began 
to  overhaul  the  tackle  of  the  boat-crane.  The 
sound  of  the  bells  was  repeated  at  intervals, 
each  time  louder  and  louder.  It  seemed  as 
if  they  must  be  steering  straight  for  some 
invisible  campanile. 

Alice  involuntarily  glanced  over  her  shoul- 
der towards  the  bows,  as  if  she  half -expected 
to  see  the  spires  and  pinnacles  of  some  Gothic 
cathedral  rising  up  out  of  the  deep.  As  she 
followed  Craig's  glance  astern  she  suddenly 
saw  a  dark  green  object  break  through  a 
wave  on  the  starboard  quarter,  its  rounded 
sides  glistening  like  a  porpoise  in  the  level 
rays  of  the  sun.  In  a  moment,  in  spite  of  the 
speed  at  which  the  Sabine  was  travelling,  it 
was  alongside,  gliding  quietly  under  the  end 
of  the  boat-boom  as  if  it  were  attached  to 
the  bronze  knob  on  its  extremity  by  a  strong, 
but  invisible  thread.  Alice  could  now  see  that 


110  The  Dominant  Chord 

the  object  was  a  large  cigar-shaped  cylinder 
like  a  torpedo. 

Craig  swung  ont  the  boat-crane,  and  the 
powerful  electro-magnet,  at  the  end  of  the 
fall,  soon  clapped  on  to  a  plate  on  the  back 
of  the  torpedo  and  it  was  quickly  swung  in 
board  and  lowered  through  a  sliding  hatch- 
way in  the  deck. 

Having  made  everything  secure,  Craig 
turned  to  enter  the  chart  house.  He  gave 
a  start  of  surprise  as  he  saw  Alice  standing 
there.  Then  he  laughed  good-humouredly. 
**  You  are  an  early  riser  this  morning,  Miss 
Huntington,  but  you  see,  as  usual,  the  earlier 
bird  has  gathered  the  worm.  I  see  you  have 
solved  for  yourself  the  mystery  of  fresh  flow- 
ers and  the  morning  papers." 

"  I  seem  to  have  solved  something,  but  I 
don't  know  exactly  what  that  something  is." 

* '  That  was  our  supply  train  which  you  saw 
coming  on  board,  the  elusive  and  invisible 
line  of  communication  which  links  us  to  civi- 
lization." 

"Is  it  permissible  to  ask  how  it  is 
done!  " 


A  Discovery  and  an  Adventure      111 

*'  Certainly.  The  torpedo  is  in  reality  a 
small  submersible  like  the  Sabine,  and  her 
motors  are  run  by  the  same  system  of  wire- 
less transmission.  As  speed  is  the  principal 
consideration,  the  entire  lower  half  of  the 
shell  is  given  up  to  the  motive  power,  while 
the  upper  part  is  divided  into  compartments 
for  carrying  supplies,  an  ice  box,  fireless 
cooker,  etc.  The  device  is  set  to  run  about 
fifty  feet  below  the  surface  so  as  not  to  inter- 
fere with  any  vessel,  and  the  speed  developed 
is  often  as  high  as  one  hundred  miles  per 
hour.  Its  position  is  indicated  and  controlled 
at  our  laboratories  by  an  adaption  of  the 
principle  of  the  wireless  telautograph  until 
it  comes  within  range  of  our  detector,  and 
then  we  do  the  rest.  My  boys  in  New  York 
have  orders  to  despatch  one  every  morning, 
so  if  there  is  any  particular  commission  you 
would  like  to  have  executed  I  can  have  it 
attended  to  for  you. ' ' 

**  Thank  you,  you  are  very  kind,  but  you 
speak  of  the  detector;  pray  what  may  that 
be!'' 

"  That  is  the  device  which  takes  care  of 


112  The  Dominant  Chord 

the  emergency  you  were  worrying  about  yes- 
terday. But  if  I  should  stop  to  explain  it 
to  you,  your  breakfast  would  be  seriously  de- 
layed, and  a  woman  without  her  breakfast  is 
more  dangerous  than  a  live  wire  charged  with 
ten  thousand  volts  alternating.  If  you  will 
excuse  me  I  will  descend  to  the  galley  and 
start  Bridget  about  her  duties." 

**  Do  not  call  it  the  galley,  please,"  pro- 
tested Alice;  "  if  you  do  I  shall  never  be 
able  to  eat  a  thing.  The  word  galley  always 
suggests  grease  and  potato  peelings  to  me. 
I  suppose  I  must  have  gathered  the  impres- 
sion from  W.  Clark  Russell  or  some  of  those 
writers  of  sea  tales.  I  think  pantry  sounds 
much  better,  don't  you?  " 

"  All  right.  Highness,  pantry  it  shall  be, 
now,  henceforth  and  for  ever  after.  I  did 
not  suppose  it  made  any  difference  whether 
the  panter  panted  in  the  pantry  or  the  galley 
slave  grubbed  in  the  galley,  so  long  as  we 
got  something  to  eat.  Is  it  also  your  pleas- 
ure that  the  scuttle-butt  shall  hereafter  be 
known  as  the  aqua  reservoir?  " 

"  It  might  sound  more  euphonious." 


A  Discovery  and  an  Adventure      113 

"  And  is  it  also  your  pleasure  that  your 
humble  servant  shall  be  called  —  blessed?  " 

**  It  seems  to  me  that  you  are  forgetting 
your  sage  and  recent  pronunciamento  in  re- 
gard to  the  live  wire.  If  you  really  are  going 
to  get  breakfast  I  sliould  advise  you  to  go  and 
get  it,  and  not  stand  there  all  the  morning 
talking  nonsense." 

Craig  laughed,  and  after  casting  a  careful 
glance  around  the  horizon,  descended  the 
stairway  to  the  saloon,  and  Alice  soon  heard 
him  busily  engaged  with  his  pans  and  broil- 
ers. 

She  was  secretly  elated  to  have  him  go. 
She  would  now  have  a  long  half  hour  to  delve 
into  the  mysteries  of  this  most  cryptic  craft 
on  which  she  was  confined.  She  could  hear 
her  jailer  whistling  away  as  he  worked  in 
the  galley  beneath.  Apparently  he  had  not 
a  care  in  the  world. 

And  she  herself,  were  her  feelings  such  as 
would  naturally  be  expected  under  the  cir- 
cumstances? She  had  to  admit  that  they 
were  not.  As  she  stood  there  gazing  idly  at 
the  swinging  compass  card,  and  pondering  on 


114  The  Dominant  Chord 

the  strangeness  of  her  situation,  and  the  men- 
tal incertitude  which  it  seemed  to  have  en- 
gendered, the  sound  of  the  cathedral  chimes 
again  came  faintly  to  her  ears,  —  two  sweet, 
sonorous  strokes: 


i 


On  the  edge  of  the  ground  glass  surface  of 
the  compass  card  under  her  unseeing,  intro- 
spective eye  there  appeared  a  tiny  spot  of 
light.  Alice  watched  it,  fascinated,  as  it 
moved  slowly  and  diagonally  across  the  card 
towards  the  centre.  It  must  have  something 
to  do  with  the  management  of  the  yacht,  but 
what!  As  the  spot  of  light  approached  the 
southeast  point  on  the  compass  card,  the  bells 
which  had  continued  to  sound  at  intervals 
suddenly  changed  their  song. 


m 


Alice  felt  that  she  was  on  the  verge  of  a 
discovery,  but  what  could  it  be?  The  de^ 
tectorl  The  thought  darted  through  her 
brain  like  a  flash.  Instantly  she  raised  her 
eyes  and  looked  out  through  the  pilot  house 


A  Discovery  and  an  Adventure      115 

windows.  Sure  enough!  Broad  on  the  port 
bow  and  in  a  direct  line  with  the  tiny  spot 
of  light  on  the  compass  card  the  tall  white 
sides  of  a  steamer  glistened  in  the  sim  above 
the  horizon.  The  ship,  though  distant,  was 
approaching  at  good  speed  and  would  evi- 
dently pass  within  a  mile.  Alice  watched  her 
with  a  vivid  and  personal  interest.  Could  it 
be  possible  that  here  at  last  was  an  oppor- 
tunity to  escape?  She  saw  the  detail  of  the 
stranger's  hull  and  rigging  gradually  grow 
and  develop  under  her  gaze ;  saw  the  figures 
of  men  upon  her  bridge ;  the  flash  of  the  sun 
upon  her  pilot  house  windows,  and  the  broad, 
red  band  with  its  white,  diamond-shaped  loz- 
enge on  her  yellow  funnel.  It  was  one  of  the 
fast  fruit  steamers  which  ply  between  Boston 
and  the  Jamaican  ports. 

Here  was  a  possibility  of  rescue,  faint,  it 
is  true,  but  still  a  possibility.  If  Craig  would 
only  remain  below,  she  might  perhaps  get 
close  enough  to  signal.  Suddenly  she  no- 
ticed that  the  Sahine,  in  some  unaccountable 
manner,  was  gradually  edging  away  from 
the  stranger.     The  tiny  pinpoint  of  light 


116  The  Dominant  Chord 

was  no  longer  approaching  the  centre  of  the 
compass  card,  hut  seemed  to  be  sliding  off 
toward  the  edge.  As  she  noticed  this  phe- 
nomenon, the  chimes,  which  had  been  repeat- 
ing their  warning  louder  and  more  insistent 
as  the  fruiter  approached,  now  added  another 
measure  to  their  admonitory  peal  — 


^=i^^ 


On  the  southwest  edge  of  the  compass  card, 
in  a  position  corresponding  with  the  first,  ap- 
peared a  second  spot  of  light.  Alice  turned 
her  head  and  scanned  the  ocean  in  the  new 
direction,  but  nothing  was  in  sight.  Nothing 
but  a  low  lying  bank  of  fog  on  the  starboard 
bow  about  five  miles  distant.  As  she  looked 
at  it  she  observed  that  the  vapour  was  curi- 
ously piled  up  in  three  regularly  disposed 
cones  which  seemed  to  be  slowly  moving 
across  the  surface  of  the  main  fog  bank  like 
a  triple  row  of  pyramids  endowed  with  mo- 
bility. 

As  Alice  paused  momentarily  to  watch  this 
strange  freak  of  the  fog  and  the  air  currents, 


A  Discovery  and  an  Adventure      117 

the  bowsprit  and  flying  jibboom  of  a  coasting 
schooner  poked  its  way  out  of  the  murky  veil 
and  was  leisurely  followed  by  the  remainder 
of  the  fabric.  The  clinging  wreaths  of  va- 
pour streamed  backward  from  her  shrouds 
and  rigging  like  shreds  of  cannon  smoke, 
while  her  three  topsails,  which  had  presented 
the  appearance  of  moving  pyramids  above 
the  fog,  gleamed  whitely  in  the  sunlight  as 
they  gently  bellied  under  the  breath  of  the 
early  morning  breeze.  The  schooner  was 
hauled  up  close  to  the  wind  on  the  port  tack, 
and  was  pointing  directly  for  the  Sabine. 
The  fruit  steamer  also,  Alice  noticed,  had 
changed  her  course  slightly  and  was  now 
heading  straight  for  the  yacht. 

The  two  vessels  were  approaching  the  Sa- 
bine along  the  sides  of  an  isosceles  triangle 
of  which  the  motor  boat  was  the  apex.  The 
schooner,  though  moving  slowly,  was  very 
much  the  nearer  of  the  two.  Alice  noticed 
that  the  yacht  had  ceased  to  edge  away  from 
the  approaching  steamer  and  was  evidently 
trying  to  pass  between  the  two  vessels, 
though  there  was  a  hesitancy  and  incertitude 


118  The  Dominant  Chord 

about  her  movements  which  had  not  been 
present  before. 

The  steering  pointer  trembled  and  oscil- 
lated as  if  it  was  in  the  grip  of  two  powerful 
contending  forces  whose  opposition  produced 
nothing  but  an  unstable  and  precarious  in- 
ertia. 

The  three  converged  rapidly.  Alice's 
hopes  were  running  high.  If  the  conditions 
held  for  five  minutes  more  she  would  be 
within  signalling  distance.  Suddenly  as  she 
watched,  she  saw  the  bows  of  the  schooner 
swing  sluggishly  up  into  the  wind.  The  head 
sails  shivered  for  a  moment  and  then  slowly 
filled  away  on  the  other  tack.  Alice  felt  as 
if  she  could  cry  with  vexation  and  disappoint- 
ment. The  tacking  of  the  schooner  had  evi- 
dently destroyed  the  state  of  unstable  equilib- 
rium between  the  forces  which  controlled  the 
Sabine's  movements,  for,  as  the  bows  of  the 
schooner  fell  away  on  the  other  tack,  the 
steering  pointer  suddenly  swung  half  way 
round  the  card.  The  yacht  swept  about  in  a 
short  circle  to  starboard  and  was  soon  rap- 
idly  scurrying   away  from   her   inquisitive 


A  Discovery  and  an  Adventure      119 

neighbour  in  white,  while  the  old  hooker 
loafed  contentedly  on  her  way  northward,  ap- 
parently unconscious  of  the  part  she  had 
played  in  the  drama. 

Alice  watched  her  hopes  receding  into  the 
distance  with  bitterness  and  chagrin.  The 
Sabine  was  travelling  at  a  speed  which  was 
rapidly  leaving  the  fruiter  astern,  fast 
steamer  though  she  was.  Evidently  nothing 
short  of  a  warship  could  catch  this  wonder- 
ful craft.  She  heard  Craig  whistling  away 
cheerily  in  the  pantry  as  he  laboured  at  his 
task  of  preparing  the  breakfast. 


^ 


P 


The  dying  notes  of  the  chimes  sang  out  a 
song  of  triumph  and  farewell.  The  Sabine 
seemed  endowed  with  an  uncanny,  almost  hu- 
man intelligence.  Alice  bit  her  lips  in  help- 
less, impotent  rage.  Must  she  stand  there  a 
passive  spectator  whUe  her  hope  of  succour 
vanished  before  her  very  eyes?  No!  Set- 
ting her  teeth  tightly  she  stretched  out  a 
hand  and  grasped  the  knob  on  the  end  of  the 


120  The  Dominant  Chord 

steering  pointer.  The  Sabine  responded  to 
the  touch  like  a  well-trained  steed.  Swinging 
the  pointer  to  the  right  Alice  caused  the 
yacht  to  circle  to  starboard,  and  in  another 
moment  she  was  approaching  the  steamer, 
much  more  rapidly  than  she  had  previously 
been  leaving  her  astern. 

But  the  alarm  bells  had  again  taken  up 
their  warning  peal.  If  she  could  only  stop 
their  eternal  clangour.  She  looked  about  for 
some  switch  that  might  control  them,  but 
found  none.  She  wondered  that  Craig  did 
not  appear  upon  the  scene,  but  the  rattle  of 
pots  and  pans  below  went  merrily  on.  If 
she  could  only  get  near  enough,  she  deter- 
mined, as  a  last  desperate  resort,  to  throw 
herself  overboard,  trusting  to  her  splendid 
swimming  powers  to  keep  her  afloat  until  a 
boat  could  be  lowered  to  rescue  her. 

The  strange  movements  of  the  motor  boat 
had  evidently  produced  a  commotion  on  the 
steamer,  for  Alice  could  see  that  her  rail  was 
lined  with  excited  heads,  while  the  group  of 
oflBcers  on  her  bridge  were  regarding  her 
intently  through  their  telescopes.    Five  min- 


A  Discovery  and  an  Adventure      121 

utes  —  three  minutes  —  one  minute  —  one 
short  minute  more  would  bring  her  along- 
side. 

The  clamour  of  the  alarm  bells  had  now 
become  deafening  and  incessant.  The  Sa- 
bine was  cutting  through  the  water  like  a 
thing  of  life.  The  excited  passengers  on  the 
fruiter  were  leaning  over  the  rail  cheering 
and  waving  encouragement  to  her.  Alice, 
lost  to  everything,  was  bending  over  the  con- 
troller with  flashing  eyes,  all  her  powers 
concentrated  in  the  one  thought,  to  place  the 
yacht  as  close  alongside  the  steamer  as  pos- 
sible. 

The  Sabine  was  now  within  one  hundred 
yards  and  going  like  the  wind.  On  Alice's 
tongue  was  trembling  a  cry  of  triumph  when 
—  in  the  fingers  which  grasped  the  knob  of 
the  steering  pointer  a  strange,  prickling  sen- 
sation commenced,  as  though  the  hand  were 
asleep.  The  feeling  quickly  spread  up 
through  her  arm  to  the  shoulder.  A  power- 
ful electric  current  was  flowing  through  her 
body. 

The  strength  of  the  current  quickly  in- 


122  The  Dominant  Chord 

creased,  and  now  it  came  in  pulsating  waves, 
causing  her  hand  and  arm  to  twitch  and  jump 
convulsively,  and  every  joint  in  her  body  to 
creak  and  ache  with  the  stiffness  of  extreme 
age.  Could  she  hold  on  another  moment  I 
Alice  set  her  teeth  and  wrapped  her  hand- 
kerchief around  the  knob  of  the  controller, 
but  the  filmy  square  of  lace,  quickly  per- 
meated with  the  moisture  from  her  excited 
fingers,  afforded  her  no  protection.  Sud- 
denly a  powerful  shock,  which  almost  brought 
her  to  her  knees,  caused  her  to  release  her 
hold  and  stagger  back  against  the  wall  of 
the  chart  house  with  a  stifled  cry.  As  she 
did  so  she  saw  Craig  standing  half  way  up 
the  stairway,  one  hand  grasping  the  railing, 
the  other  thrust  into  the  bosom  of  his  soft 
flannel  shirt 


CHAPTEB   X 


EXPLANATIONS 


The  instant  that  Alice  released  her  hold 
upon  the  controller  things  began  to  happen. 
The  steering  arrow  swung  around  until  it 
pointed  directly  away  from  the  steamero 
The  speed  controller  slid  back  along  the  arm 
and  struck  the  stop  at  the  after  end  with  a 
sharp  metallic  click.  From  below  came  the 
roar  and  thunder  of  a  hundred  cataracts. 
The  Sabine  spun  around  like  a  thoroughbred 
at  the  barrier,  burying  her  rail  until  her 
decks  were  awash.  For  a  moment  it  seemed 
as  if  she  were  going  to  turn  turtle  entirely, 
but  she  quickly  righted  herself  and  leaped 
forward  like  a  projectile  from  a  gun.  The 
sea  seemed  actually  to  smoke  as  she  hurled 
herself  through  it.  Craig  sprang  to  the  con- 
troller and  slowed  the  yacht  down  to  a  nor- 
mal rate  of  speed,  then  turned  to  face  his 
captive.  Alice  was  crouching  on  the  leather 
covered  divan  eyeing  him  defiantly. 

123 


124  The  Dominant  Chord 

''  So  you  thought  you  would  take  charge 
of  the  ship  in  the  absence  of  the  captain," 
he  remarked  banteringly.  *'  Do  you  know 
that  such  an  act  constitutes  mutiny  on  the 
high  seas?  " 

*'  I  neither  know  nor  care.  I  am  not  sub- 
ject to  your  control.  I  shall  fight  you  with 
whatever  weapons  come  to  my  hand." 

Craig  regarded  her  a  moment  with  open 
admiration.  *'  I  believe  you,"  he  remarked 
finally.  **  There  is  an  old  proverb  which  I 
see  I  shall  have  to  remember  in  future: 
*  When  the  cat's  away  the  mice  will  play.'  " 

*'  You  certainly  are  a  cat.  You  have 
proved  your  willingness  and  ability  to  show 
your  claws  when  the  occasion  requires." 

*  *  A  cat !  I  thought  that  term  was  appro- 
priated by  and  applied  exclusively  to  the  fair 
sex. ' ' 

"  Perhaps  it  is.  I  am  inclined  to  think 
that  tiger  would  be  the  more  appropriate 
characterization,  anyway. ' ' 

"  Surely  not  that;  you  could  not  com- 
pare me  with  anything  so  cruel  and  carnivo- 
rous." 


Explanations  125 

*'  Why  not?  You  seem  to  be  capable  of 
anything. ' ' 

"  If  I  were  a  tiger,  liking  you  as  I  do,  I 
might  want  to  eat  you." 

* '  I  am  not  so  sure  that  you  are  absolutely 
incapable  even  of  that.  It  is  said  that  a 
sultan  of  Sulu  once  had  a  wife  he  was 
so  fond  of-  that  he  ate  her,"  replied  the 
girl. 

"  Your  parallel  falls  down  in  one  essential 
particular,  but  perhaps  we  can  remedy  that 
in  time. ' ' 

**  And  perhaps  not.  I  think  we  will  pre- 
serve the  point  of  divergence  in  order  to 
prevent  it  from  becoming  a  parallel  in  real- 
ity." 

Craig  leaned  against  the  pedestal  of  the 
controller  and  regarded  her  for  some  mo- 
ments critically.  "  Speaking  of  eating  re- 
minds me,"  he  said  at  length,  *' that  —  in 
the  language  of  polite  society  — '  breakfast 
is  served.'  Will  you  partake  of  it  here  in 
my  company  just  to  show  that  there  are  no 
hard  feelings?  " 

**  Certainly  not.     While  I  am  forced  to 


126  The  Dominant  Chord 

remain  on  board  this  ship  I  prefer  to  take 
my  meals  in  private. ' ' 

**  Eeally,  Miss  Huntington,  that  is  not 
fair.  *  To  the  victor  belongs  the  spoils,'  you 
know.  (The  spoiled  child  I  guess  it  is  in 
this  case.)  The  Huntingtons  have  always 
been  good  losers.  Your  father  won  out  in 
the  end  by  being  a  good  loser  in  the  begin- 
ning.'* 

**  If  I  thought  that  history  would  repeat 
itself  I  might  reconsider." 

**  Please  do." 

Alice  hesitated.  She  was  really  very  an- 
gry, but  at  the  same  time  she  was  also 
very  curious.  In  the  end  curiosity  pre- 
vailed. 

"  I  will,  on  one  condition,"  she  announced 
finally. 

''  What  is  it?  " 

"  That  you  explain  the  thing  to  me;  tell 
me  how  it  works. ' ' 

**  I  would  explain  the  entire  solar  system 
to  you  in  exchange  for  a  happiness  so  great," 
cried  Craig,  radiant  with  boyish  enthusiasm. 
"  May  I  serve  it  here?  " 


Explanations  127 

''  I  suppose  so,  since  you  are  so  persist- 
ent." 

Craig  touclied  a  spring  and  Alice's  break- 
fast table  ascended  on  the  dumb-waiter 
through  a  concealed  trap  in  the  floor.  It 
bore  its  accustomed  burden  of  gleaming  sil- 
ver, linen  and  glass,  and  was  set  and  laid 
for  two.  Craig  had  evidently  anticipated  his 
victory. 

Alice  bit  her  lip  in  vexation,  but  it  was  too 
late  to  draw  back,  so  she  decided  to  ignore 
the  circumstance.  Craig  rolled  the  table 
over  to  a  position  in  front  of  the  divan  and, 
seating  himself  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
angle  which  it  formed,  proceeded  to  serve 
the  strawberries  and  grapefruit  which  he 
had  prepared  with  all  the  suppressed  delight 
of  a  school  boy  out  with  his  first  sweetheart. 

The  fruit  steamer  was  by  this  time  some 
five  miles  astern  and  heading  northward 
again.  She  was  evidently  aware  of  the  use- 
lessness  of  trying  to  catch  Craig's  elusive 
and  slippery  craft. 

Alice  took  a  sip  of  her  coffee  and  then  set- 
tled herself  back  against  the  cushions. 


128  The  Dominant  Chord 

*'  You  may  begin  now,"  she  said. 
* '  Begin !    Begin  what !  ' ' 

*  *  Why,  your  explanations,  of  course.  The 
detector,  what  is  it?    How  does  it  work?  " 

'*  Oh,  bother  the  detector,"  cried  Craig 
petulantly.  *'  Let  us  enjoy  our  breakfast 
and  leave  explanations  until  afterward." 

Alice  laid  down  her  napkin  and  rose  de- 
cisively to  her  feet. 

**  Don't,  please  don't,"  pleaded  Craig. 
*  *  The  omelet  will  get  cold  and  you  will  spoil 
everything. ' ' 

*'  A  bargain  is  a  bargain,"  she  replied 
firmly. 

"  Well,  if  you  must,  you  must,  I  suppose. 
I  thought  it  could  wait  until  after  the  break- 
fast had  been  disposed  of,  though." 

Alice  reseated  herself  with  dignity,  *'  Go 
on,"  she  commanded. 

**  What  do  you  want  to  know?  " 

*  *  I  want  to  know  about  the  detector.  How 
it  works.  I  want  to  know  what  prevents  the 
Sabine  from  running  down  the  first  craft 
that  crosses  her  path.  I  want  to  know  — 
everything." 


Explanations  129 

"  Well,  I  must  say  you  are  moderate  in 
your  demands.  Do  you  expect  me  to  eluci- 
date all  this  within  the  compass  of  a  single 
breakfast  hour?  " 

'*  That  ought  not  to  seem  a  stupendous 
task  for  one  who,  a  moment  ago,  was  willing 
to  explain  the  workings  of  the  entire  uni- 
verse ;  but  you  may  begin  with  the  detector, 
and  your  collision-preventing  device,  and 
then  I  shall  be  able  to  judge  how  long  it 
will  take  you  to  explain  the  entire  cos- 
mos." 

"  Oh,  well,"  said  Craig  resignedly,  **  you 
want  to  know  how  we  prevent  collisions;  it 
is  very  simple.  You  know,  of  course,  that 
every  ship  is  the  centre  and  core  of  a  mag- 
netic field,  whose  strength  varies  according 
to  the  size  of  the  mass.  Practically  every 
ship  of  to-day  is  of  iron  or  steel,  and  in  the 
few  rare  cases  of  wooden  vessels  there  is 
still  enough  iron  entering  into  their  construc- 
tion to  affect  our  exceedingly  delicate  instru- 
ments. You  remember  the  knob  on  the  after 
end  of  the  steering  arrow  which  became  so 
hot  just  now?     Well,  as  soon  as  that  knob 


130  The  Dominant  Chord 

enters  one  of  these  magnetic  fields  it  is  at- 
tracted towards  the  object  from  which  the 
field  emanates,  and  the  attraction  deflects  the 
steering  arrow  in  a  greater  or  less  degree, 
as  it  is  strong  or  weak.  Now,  as  the  mag- 
netic attraction  of  the  compass  needle  for  the 
pole  is  always  striving  to  bring  the  pointer 
back  to  the  course,  and  as  the  attraction  from 
the  disturbing  field  of  the  distant  vessel  is 
continually  trying  to  deflect  it,  we  have  a 
parallelogram  of  forces  whose  resultant  will 
be  the  course  which  the  Sabine  steers. 
As  the  attraction  of  the  compass  needle  is 
constant,  and  as  the  attraction  of  the  ap- 
proaching vessel  varies  directly  with  the 
distance,  it  is  possible  to  adjust  the  instru- 
ment so  that  the  presence  of  a  distant  ship 
will  produce  very  little,  if  any,  departure 
from  the  true  course,  but  if  a  vessel  should 
get  so  near  as  to  overcome  the  pull  of  the 
compass  entirely,  then  the  steering  arrow 
would  be  swung  around  so  as  to  point  di- 
rectly from  her,  and  the  Sabine  would  at 
once  show  her  her  heels." 

"  But  suppose  it  did  not  work!  "  asked 


Explanations  131 

Alice.    "  So  delicate  a  device  is  susceptible 
of  derangement  surely?  " 

**  I  perceive  that  you  must  have  every  con- 
dition satisfied,"  laughed  Craig.  **  That  is 
where  the  detectors  come  in.  It  is  not  suf- 
ficient that  the  Sabine  should  be  able  to  avoid 
automatically  any  craft  she  may  meet.  It  is 
also  desirable  that  her  captain  should  know 
when  any  vessels  are  in  sight.  For  that  pur- 
pose we  have  a  series  of  separate  needles 
mounted  in  the  base  of  the  pedestal  called 
the  micro-detectors.  These  are  arranged  to 
come  into  action  successively,  and  the  pres- 
ence of  a  mass  of  iron  or  steel  of  the  bulk 
of  a  ship  will  attract  one  of  these  needles 
at  a  distance  of  over  twenty  miles.  Each 
needle  carries  on  its  point  a  tiny  electric 
light  which  is  arranged  to  slide  toward  the 
centre  of  the  arm  as  the  attractive  force 
increases,  and  which  throws  its  light  up 
from  below  on  to  the  compass  card.  It 
is  only  necessary  to  arrange  an  audible 
signal  to  show  when  these  needles  are  de- 
flected to  provide  for  every  possible  emer- 
gency." 


132  The  Dominant  Chord 

''  And  the  chime  bells  are  your  audible 
signal?  "  interrupted  Alice. 

''  Precisely.  That  is  an  idea  of  my  own," 
replied  Craig  with  a  whimsical  smile.  "  Be- 
ing of  a  somewhat  aesthetic  turn  of  mind  I 
object  to  having  my  nerves  torn  and  jangled 
by  the  sound  of  harsh  and  strident  gongs  or 
whistles  every  time  the  Sahine  happens  to 
meet  a  stranger  on  the  highway  of  the  na- 
tions. By  taking  advantage  of  the  flexible 
qualities  of  the  Tel-orchestrion  we  have  con- 
structed a  set  of  cathedral  bell  tones  with  a 
range  of  two  octaves.  This  is  connected 
electrically  with  the  needles  of  the  detectors, 
and  small  producers  are  located  in  various 
parts  of  the  vessel.  When  one  of  the  needles 
is  deflected  a  bell-like  tone  is  given  forth 
from  the  producers  and  the  interval  of  that 
tone  as  compared  with  the  treble  *  C  '  of 
the  scale,  which  is  struck  immediately  before 
it  indicates  the  amount  of  deflection.  I  have 
divided  my  two  octaves  among  the  sixteen 
principal  points  of  bearing,  which,  with  the 
addition  of  a  sharp  in  each  scale,  gives  an 
individual  note  to  each  point  so  that  the 


Explanations  133 

presence  of  a  strange  ship  is  not  only  an- 
nounced, but  her  position  audibly  indicated, 
as  well  as  being  shown  on  the  compass  card 
and  on  the  various  telltales." 

*'  It  is  perfectly  evident  to  me,  Mr.  Craig, 
that  you  have  mistaken  your  vocation,"  re- 
marked Alice  with  conviction.  **  Anyone 
who  could  originate  an  idea  like  that  is 
wasting  his  time  in  the  bold  and  nefa- 
rious occupation  of  a  pirate.  You  ought 
to  be  —  well,  I  don't  know  just  where 
your  peculiar  qualifications  would  best 
fit." 

**  They  seem  to  fit  here  pretty  well.  At 
least  it  appears  so  to  me." 

**  That  is  purely  masculine  self -apprecia- 
tion. The  field  here  is  too  limited  for  your 
talents.  You  should  head  for  New  York  at 
once.  Come,  let  us  turn  the  steering  arrow 
north.  They  are  looking  for  just  such  a  man 
as  you  there." 

**  I  suppose  you  mean  the  authorities  are 
looking  for  me.  No,  Miss  Huntington,  I  am 
afraid  it  won't  do  just  yet,  and  besides,  it 
would  bring  us  back  in  time  for  a  certain 


134  The  Dominant  Chord 

ceremony  which  at  present  is  indefinitely 
postponed." 

**  You  seem  to  have  a  genius  for  bringing 
up  disagreeable  subjects,"  said  Alice,  drop- 
ping at  once  her  tone  of  badinage. 

''  I  am  glad  the  subject  has  become  a  dis- 
agreeable one.  There  is  certainly  a  ray  of 
hope  in  that." 

**  The  subject  is  not  a  disagreeable  one. 
It  is  the  discussion  of  it  with  you  that  is  dis- 
agreeable. '  * 

*'  Well,  I  am  willing  to  substitute  any- 
thing else  you  wish.  Suppose  we  discuss  the 
rising  prospects  of  a  humble  engineer,  one 
Gordon  Craig  by  name." 

**  You  are  conceited,  Mr.  Craig,  abso- 
lutely conceited,  and  I  detest  conceit  even  in 
a  pirate.  I  am  going  out  on  deck  to  enjoy 
some  of  this  invigorating  morning  air,  and 
if  you  have  anything  to  do  I  advise  you  to 
go  and  do  it." 


CHAPTER   XI 

A   MOMENT    OF   MADKESS 

Afteb  Craig  and  the  breakfast  table  had 
silently  and  unobtrusively  disappeared  be- 
low, Alice  drew  a  steamer  rug  carelessly 
about  her  and  ensconced  herself  in  a  bamboo 
reclining  chair  which  her  captor  had  thought- 
fully placed  for  her  under  the  awning  at  the 
stern. 

The  day  was  one  of  those  rare  ones  which 
is  sometimes  encountered  in  February  on 
the  edge  of  the  tropics.  The  breath  of  the 
ocean  was  like  old  wine  and  the  razor  edge 
of  the  horizon  stood  out  sharp  and  clear,  so 
close  that  it  seemed  as  if  one  might  almost 
reach  out  and  touch  it  with  his  hand. 

Alice  had  found  a  well-thumbed  leather- 
covered  copy  of  the  Iliad  on  one  of  the  divans 
in  the  chart  house,  and  she  was  soon  ab- 
sorbed in  the  struggles  of  the  *'  well  greaved 
Greeks  '*  against  the  hosts  of  Priam,  the 
135 


136  The  Dominant  Chord 

clash  of  spear  upon  buckler  and  the  thunder 
of  contending  war  chariots. 

Crafts  of  all  kinds  came  up  out  of  the 
south  and  passed  them,  heralded  always 
more  or  less  insistently  by  the  warning  bells 
of  the  detector.  Only  one,  a  large  tramp 
steamer  with  a  gridiron  of  wireless  antennae 
strung  between  her  masts,  seemed  to  give 
them  any  special  attention,  but  the  Sabine 
slipped  away  from  her  so  rapidly  that  she 
soon  turned  her  prow  northward  again. 

Alice  scarcely  noticed  these  interruptions; 
she  had  ceased  to  hope  for  any  assistance 
except  from  some  of  the  fast  scouts  of  the 
first  cruiser  squadron,  which  she  knew  by 
this  time  must  be  on  the  lookout  for  them. 

A  battleship  passed  them  going  north,  Evi- 
dently detached  from  the  fleet,  which  was  at 
target  practice  off  Guantanamo,  but  she  was 
so  distant  that  Alice  could  only  make  out  her 
funnels  and  the  two  towers  of  her  skeleton 
masts. 

For  over  an  hour  the  sonorous,  well- 
rounded  periods  of  the  Iliad  held  her  atten- 
tion enchained,  until,  tiring  at  length  of  the 


A  Moment  of  Madness  137 

martial  exploits  of  the  fiery  Hector  and  the 
god-like  Achilles,  she  closed  the  book  on  her 
lap  and  gave  herself  up  to  reverie.  The 
smooth  gliding  motion  of  the  Sahine  soothed 
her  senses  and  quieted  her  nerves  until  she 
stretched  herself  out  luxuriously  in  her  chair 
and  then  curled  up  among  the  cushions  like 
a  kitten  basking  sleepily  in  the  sunshine. 
The  strain  of  the  last  few  weeks  in  New 
York  had  worn  on  her  more  than  she  was 
aware  of,  and  the  rest  and  relaxation  she 
was  beginning  to  find  on  the  Sahine  were 
tonics  which  she  needed  more  than  perhaps 
she  herself  would  have  been  willing  to  admit. 
In  this  idle  retrospective  mood  she  let  her 
thoughts,  for  perhaps  the  first  time  since 
she  had  been  immured  in  her  present  float- 
ing prison,  drift  back  to  the  scenes  she  had 
so  recently  quitted.  The  picture  of  the  Duke 
banished  to  Florida  to  escape  notoriety  and 
the  reporters  caused  her  to  smile  under- 
standingly.  Should  not  she  of  all  others 
appreciate  the  hypersensitive  nature  of  her 
titled  wooer?  She  idly  wondered  what  sort 
of  a  man  George  would  have  been  had  he 


138  The  Dominant  Chord 

lived  in  the  strenuous  times  of  which  she 
had  just  been  reading,  when  a  man  had  to 
win  his  wife  by  the  strength  of  his  arm  and 
the  length  of  his  sword,  and  no  rank  was 
valid  which  could  not  be  maintained  with 
spear  and  shield  in  the  forefront  of  the  bat- 
tle. She  tried  to  imagine  him  garbed  in 
sandals,  corslet  and  helmet,  with  waving 
horsehair  plume,  but  the  effort  was  too  great 
and  only  produced  a  smile.  Craig,  she  could 
easily  picture,  his  gray  eyes  gleaming  from 
beneath  a  brazen  vizor,  but  the  Duke,  —  that 
was  different.  Her  sense  of  humour  pre- 
vented her  from  pursuing  her  thoughts  fur- 
ther in  that  direction.  George  was  emi- 
nently not  of  the  fighting  type,  although  he 
had  served  his  country  manfully  and  well 
during  the  closing  days  of  the  war  in  South 
Africa,  and  had  achieved  the  distinction  of 
going  through  the  last  campaign  with  only 
three  steamer  trunks  and  four  body  serv- 
ants. "Whether  he  ever  arrived  within  sight- 
ing distance  of  the  embattled  Boers  she  did 
not  know,  but  that  did  not  matter.  The  good 
old  days  when  warriors  stood  knee  to  knee, 


A  Moment  of  Madness  139 

buckler  to  buckler,  gazing  into  each  other's 
glowing  eyes  through  their  barred  and  fluted 
vizors  while  they  hacked  and  hewed  away 
with  short  sword,  or  martel-de-fer,  were 
gone  never  to  return.  The  modern  fighting 
man  now  murders  his  fellow  secretly  and 
by  stealth  at  ranges  of  from  one  to  seven 
miles,  without  even  a  puff  of  smoke  to  tell 
from  whence  the  fatal  messenger  comes. 
War  is  indeed  stripped  of  its  pomp  and 
glamour. 

The  tide  of  her  reflections  was  interrupted 
by  the  march  of  the  trumpets  from  Aida, 
sounded  by  the  Tel-orchestrion  producer  in 
the  chart  house  as  a  signal  that  luncheon 
was  ready.  Glancing  at  her  watch  she  saw 
that  it  was  one-thirty.  Craig  had  not  ap- 
peared. Encouraged  by  his  success  of  the 
morning,  she  had  anticipated  that  he  would 
try  to  secure  her  company  at  luncheon,  and 
she  had  mentally  planned  a  courteous  but 
firm  refusal  to  his  plea,  but  nothing  of  the 
kind  occurred.  Looking  through  the  door 
into  the  chart  house  she  saw  that  her  table 
was  once  more  standing  by  the  trap  door  of 


140  The  Dominant  Chord 

the  lift.  It  was  set  and  laid  for  one.  Evi- 
dently Craig  had  not  thought  of  pursuing  his 
advantage  at  present. 

Alice  was  secretly  piqued  and  annoyed. 
She  wished  to  even  up  the  score,  but  appar- 
ently she  was  not  soon  to  have  the  oppor- 
tunity. 

It  was  late  in  the  afternoon  before  her 
jailer  finally  appeared.  He  had  evidently 
been  working  hard,  for  his  usually  immacu- 
late hands  were  stained  with  carbon  ink,  and 
his  hair  looked  as  if  his  fingers  had  been  fre- 
quently run  through  it.  Alice  received  him 
with  a  chilling  reserve  which  she  thought 
appropriate  to  the  occasion. 

"  It  is  evident,  Mr.  Craig,  that  your  duties 
as  host  and  jailer  do  not  extend  to,  or  in- 
clude, providing  entertainment  for  your 
guests,  or  prisoners,  whichever  you  choose 
to  call  them.'* 

*'  Entertainment!  I  thought  you  were 
deeply  engrossed  when  I  glanced  out  on  the 
deck  this  morning.  Had  I  thought  my  pres- 
ence could  have  added  anything  to  your  hap- 
piness I  should  have  hastened  to  your  side." 


A  Moment  of  Madness  141 

'*  It  could  not.  Happiness  is  quite  out  of 
the  question  when  one  is  a  prisoner,  but  even 
the  study  of  the  more  inferior  forms  of  ani- 
mal life  serve  to  pass  away  the  time  when 
one  has  nothing  but  a  painted  sky  and  a 
painted  ocean  to  gaze  upon.'* 

'*  Thank  you  for  the  compliment  implied. 
I  am  sorry  you  find  confinement  growing  irk- 
some. You  may  put  an  end  to  it  at  any  time 
you  wish,  however." 

"I!    How?" 

"  By  cancelling  your  engagement  with  the 
Duke  of  Buckminster  and  substituting  in  his 
stead  one  who  really  cares  for  you. ' ' 

"  Thank  you.  There  are  some  things  that 
one  instinctively  prefers  imprisonment  to." 

* '  I  am  sorry  you  feel  that  way.  However, 
in  the  end  the  strongest  thing  will  win.  If 
love  is  not  the  strongest  thing  it  won't  win, 
and  it  ought  not  to  win.  I  think  it  will  win, 
however. ' ' 

**  Mr.  Craig,  are  you  a  fighting  man?  " 

"I?  Certainly  not.  I  am  by  birth,  train- 
ing and  inclination  an  engineer.  War  is 
destruction,   and  the  constructive  tempera- 


142  The  Dominant  Chord 

ment  is  always  and  unalterably  opposed  to 
the  destructive.  I  have  at  times  been  obliged 
to  take  up  the  rifle  during  some  of  the 
troubles  on  the  Isthmus  and  elsewhere,  but 
I  am  always  ready  to  quit  when  the  other 
fellow  is." 

''  I  don't  understand  how  one  of  your 
peaceful  and  conciliatory  trend  of  mind  ever 
expected  to  gain  anything  in  a  woman's  esti- 
mation by  resorting  to  force.  You  seem  to 
lack  the  courage  of  your  convictions.  Hav- 
ing commenced  in  that  manner  it  would  seem 
to  be  the  part  of  consistency  to  carry  out 
your  conquest  along  similar  lines." 

**  Because  one  is  obliged  to  use  force  occa- 
sionally it  does  not  necessarily  follow  that 
he  must  do  so  always  to  be  consistent.  Napo- 
leon and  even  Alexander  himself  sheathed 
the  sword  at  times.  One  may  use  force  to 
win  his  opportunity,  but  one  does  not  use 
force  to  win  love  itself,  because  the  result 
would  not  be  love  but  something  else.  How- 
ever, could  I  win  the  love  I  want  in  that  way, 
I  would  take  you  as  ruthlessly  as  ever  Eoman 
legionary  wooed  a  Sabine  maid." 


A  Moment  of  Madness  143 

**  You  would  not  dare." 

"  Dare?  Dare  is  a  dangerous  word  to  use 
to  a  man  with  red  blood  in  his  veins." 

They  were  standing  by  the  door  of  the 
chart  house;  for  a  moment  she  looked 
at  him,  scorning  —  taunting.  Craig  paled 
slightly ;  in  his  gray  eyes  danger  lights  were 
leaping. 

The  next  instant  Alice  felt  herself  swept 
into  his  arms.  For  one  wild,  mad  moment 
she  was  crushed  against  him.  For  one  su- 
preme heart-beat  she  thrilled  to  the  passion 
of  his  lips  pressed  full  upon  hers. 

Then  panting,  dishevelled,  defiant,  she  felt 
herself  released.  Craig  was  looking  at  her 
with  white  face  and  burning  eyes. 

*'  Oh!  Oh!  Oh!  "  she  cried,  every  fibre  of 
her  outraged  womanhood  clamouring  for  ex- 
pression. 

For  a  moment  she  gazed  at  him;  then 
turning,  fled  swiftly  along  the  deck,  her  one 
unreasoning  impulse  being  to  place  as  much 
space  between  herself  and  her  captor  as  pos- 
sible. 

She  had  almost  reached  the  taffrail  before 


144  The  Dominant  Chord 

Craig  divined  her  purpose.  His  already  pal- 
lid face  turned  ashen.  Hastily  thrusting  his 
hand  into  his  pocket  he  pressed  one  of  the 
remote  control  switches  which  he  always  car- 
ried about  him,  one  designed  to  turn  a  heavy 
current  of  electricity  into  the  guard  rail  as 
a  protection  against  possible  intruders. 

Alice's  flying  form  was  already  in  the  air. 
In  another  moment  she  would  have  been  in 
the  water,  battered,  bruised,  and  broken  by 
the  powerful  jets  that  were  forcing  the  Sa- 
bine along  at  express  train  speed ;  but,  as  she 
rose  to  the  leap,  as  her  outstretched  hands 
touched  the  railing,  the  powerful  electric  cur- 
rent shunted  through  her  body.  Like  a  bird 
shot  on  the  wing,  like  the  deer  stricken  in 
full  career,  her  body  crumpled  up  in  mid-air, 
and  with  a  choking  moan  she  fell  limp  and 
senseless  to  the  deck. 


CHAPTER   XII 

A  DECLAEATION   OF   WAE 

When  Alice  recovered  consciousness  she 
found  herself  lying  on  a  divan  in  the  chart 
room.  Craig  was  bending  anxiously  over 
her  chafing  her  hands  and  wrists.  From  the 
marks  of  his  fingers  on  her  arms,  and  the 
leather  cushion  which  was  placed  uncomfort- 
ably beneath  her  shoulders,  she  knew  that  he 
had  been  resorting  to  artificial  respiration 
to  resuscitate  her. 

''  How  do  you  feel  now?  "  he  asked  in  a 
voice  from  which  he  vainly  tried  to  exclude 
the  emotion. 

Alice  was  too  weak  to  answer.  She  could 
only  look  at  him  with  unspeakable  loathing. 

Craig,  seeing  that  she  was  not  likely  to 
relapse  again  into  unconsciousness,  hurried 
below  and  quickly  returned  with  a  liqueur 
glass  filled  with  brandy,  which  he  poured  be- 
tween her  unresisting  lips.  The  powerful 
145 


146  The  Dominant  Chord 

liquor  soon  revived  her  sufficiently  so  that 
she  was  able  to  sit  up  propped  against  the 
cushions  he  placed  for  her. 

**  How  do  you  feel?  "  he  again  asked 
anxiously. 

Alice  gazed  at  him  scornfully  for  a  full 
moment  before  replying. 

*'  *  How  do  I  feel?  *  "  and  she  laughed 
bitterly.  **  How  should  you  expect  me  to 
feel?  You  have  violated  me,  insulted  me, 
killed  me,  almost,  —  how  should  you  expect 
me  to  feel?  *' 

**  I  could  not  help  it;  there  was  no  other 
way.  If  you  had  gone  overboard  you  would 
inevitably  have  been  lost." 

*'  You  could  not  help  degrading  me  either, 
I  suppose.  You  could  not  help  subjecting 
me  to  the  indignities  you  would  force  upon 
any  ignorant  and  helpless  girl  that  fate 
threw  into  your  power. '  * 

'*  But  you  drove  me  to  it." 

*  *  I  drove  you  to  it !  And  I  also  drove  you 
to  your  first  attack  upon  my  happiness?  I 
drove  you  into  this  mad  enterprise  you  have 
embarked  upon,  I  suppose." 


A  Declaration  of  War  147 

*'  Indirectly,  yes.  You  have  never  known 
a  passionate  love;  you  do  not  realize  the 
desperate  lengths  it  will  force  a  man  to.*' 

'*  And  I  drove  you  to  it,  did  I?  Well,  I 
will  drive  you  to  a  good  many  other  things 
before  we  are  done  with  each  other.  Why 
don't  you  go  on  as  you  have  begun?  Why 
don't  you  complete  your  nefarious  work?  .  I 
am  quite  in  your  power."  , 

**  Alice,  this  is  unjust.  You  know  you 
have  nothing  to  fear  from  me. ' ' 

**  Fear  from  you!  I  do  not  fear  you,  I 
merely  hate  you.  Hate  you  with  an  all- 
consuming  hatred  that  will  never  die.  I  shall 
live  henceforth  only  to  see  you  suffer.  And 
you  shall  suffer.  You  shall  pay  for  the  rav- 
ishing of  my  lips  in  the  sweat  of  your  soul. 
You  shall  know  desire,  fierce,  intense,  con- 
suming desire  that  shall  make  your  days  a 
misery  and  your  nights  a  horror.  Desire  that 
shall  grow  and  burn  unceasingly,  that  shall 
never  be  realized,  never  satiated,  never  sat- 
isfied." 

*'  I  know  it  now,"  replied  Craig  gravely. 

*'  You  know  it  now?  "     Alice  looked  at 


148  The  Dominant  Chord 

him  long  and  searchingly  out  of  her  hollow, 
burning  eyes.  Then  she  turned  her  face  to 
the  pillow  with  a  wild,  hysterical  laugh. 
' '  You  know  it  now !  What  you  know  is  noth- 
ing. '  *  * 

"  You  are  overwrought  and  unstrung,** 
replied  Craig  gravely.  '*  Won't  you  drink 
this  that  I  have  prepared  for  you?  It  will 
quiet  your  nerves.  * ' 

**  I  will  do  anything  if  you  will  only  go 
away.    If  you  will  only  leave  me.*' 

Alice  drained  the  cup  which  he  placed  to 
her  lips  and  turned  her  face  again  to  the 
pillows,  while  Craig  lighted  a  cigar  and 
passed  moodily  out  upon  the  deck. 

On  returning  to  the  chart  room  half  an 
hour  later  he  found  her  sleeping  as  quietly 
and  peacefully  as  a  child.  Picking  her  up 
in  his  strong  arms  he  carried  her  below  and 
deposited  her  gently  on  one  of  the  couches 
in  the  library.  Then  throwing  a  light  slum- 
ber robe  over  her  he  went  quietly  out  and 
closed  the  door. 

In  the  days  that  followed  Craig  had  good 
reason  to  feel  that  Alice  had  not  forgotten 


A  Declaration  of  War  149 

her  threat.  The  whole  nature  of  the  girl 
seemed  changed  and  transformed.  The 
haughty,  supercilious,  and  somewhat  frivo- 
lous society  girl  was  gone,  and  in  her  place 
he  found  a  woman  wise  in  the  wisdom  of  the 
world,  fully  conscious  of  the  power  of  her 
sex,  and  an  adept  in  applying  this  power  to 
accomplish  the  results  she  aimed  at.  All  the 
arts  of  a  Circe,  of  a  Calypso,  seemed  latent 
in  her  nature,  all  the  allurements  with  which 
Cleopatra  enchained  the  rough  and  soldierly 
Anthony;  all  the  fascinations  with  which 
DuBarry  bound  to  herself  the  monarch  of 
France;  all  the  languishing  loveliness  with 
which  Helen  of  Troy  wrought  the  ruin  of 
men  and  accomplished  the  destruction  of  a 
happy  and  prosperous  people,  she  brought 
to  bear  upon  the  object  of  her  vengeance. 

So  rapid  and  kaleidoscopic  were  the 
changes  in  her  moods  that  the  slower  mov- 
ing masculine  mind  could  hardly  tell  where 
one  began  and  the  other  left  off.  At  times 
she  would  dazzle  him  with  an  assumption  of 
frank  comradeship  and  interest,  drawing 
him  on  to  talk  of  his  plans  and  aspirations 


150  The  Dominant  Chord 

only  to  dash  him,  in  the  height  of  his  en- 
thusiasm, to  the  ground  with  some  cynical 
comment  or  sudden  recurrence  of  cold  indif- 
ference. 

In  raiment  she  bewildered  him  with  the 
diversity  and  beauty  of  her  gowns,  and  she 
never  ceased  to  thank  the  fates  that  had 
placed  this  most  powerful  weapon  in  her 
hands.  In  her  task  of  self-adornment  she 
often  had  cause  to  thank  fortune  for  her  long 
arms  and  Yankee  ingenuity,  but  as  time  went 
on  and  she  became  expert  with  practice,  she 
missed  the  services  of  her  maid  much  less 
than  a  short  time  before  she  would  have 
believed  possible.  She  would  spend  whole 
hours  on  a  toilet  that  Craig  would  but  catch 
a  glimpse  of  as  she  swept  through  the  saloon 
or  passed  him  in  the  chart  house.  She  would 
gladden  his  eyes  with  jaunty  walking  suits 
that  displayed  to  perfection  her  superb 
young  figure,  fascinate  them  with  voluminous 
and  lacy  morning  gowns  of  which  he  would 
catch  but  a  glimpse  as  she  selected  a  book 
from  the  shelves  in  the  saloon;  madden  them 
with   filmy,   clinging   evening   gowns   which 


A  Declaration  of  War  151 

revealed  her  round,  white  arms  and  gleam- 
ing alabaster  shoulders  to  his  hungry  gaze, 
leaving  him  always  restless,  dissatisfied,  un- 
satisfied. 

Well  knowing  the  power  of  her  voice  she 
would  seat  herself  in  the  evening  at  the 
piano,  when  she  knew  that  Craig  was  work- 
ing in  his  laboratory,  and  croon  away  in  her 
deep,  rich  contralto  some  tender  Polish  love 
song,  some  haunting  Biscayan  berceuse, 
until  Craig,  his  soul  in  his  eyes,  would  be 
drawn  to  the  door,  when  she  would  rise  from 
the  stool  with  a  wicked,  malicious,  little  laugh 
and  go  on  deck,  leaving  her  victim,  his  brain 
in  a  turmoil  and  work  impossible. 

The  boundaries  of  her  caprice  were  limit- 
less. At  one  moment  she  would  overpower 
him  with  her  graciousness  and  the  frank 
acceptance  of  his  society;  in  the  next  she 
would  become  as  cold  and  inaccessible  as 
some  remote,  snow-capped  peak  of  the  Him- 
alayas. She  would  fan  and  feed  the  flames 
of  his  passion  with  every  art  known  to  the 
coquette  and  the  courtesan,  watching  with 
malignant  satisfaction  to  see  his  lips  grow 


152  The  Dominant  Chord 

white  as  her  skirts  brushed  past  him  in  the 
passageway,  or  the  tension  of  his  muscles 
when  she  came  and  innocently  stood  beside 
him  at  the  rail,  so  close  that  he  could  feel 
the  warmth  of  her,  and  inhale  the  delicate, 
elusive  perfume  of  her  hair. 

Craig  was  helpless  against  these  attacks. 
Having  once  crossed  the  boundaries  of  con- 
vention and  subjected  her  to  the  force  of  his 
passion,  he  shrank  from  a  repetition  of  the 
incident  with  a  fear  bom  of  the  knowledge 
of  the  desperate  lengths  to  which  this  girl's 
tempestuous  nature  would  drive  her,  and 
Alice,  knowing,  and  knowing  that  he  knew, 
used  her  advantage  with  the  relentless  cru- 
elty which  only  a  woman  can  show.  The 
ingenuity  and  skill  with  which  she  devised 
ways  and  means  to  torture  him  would  have 
driven  a  savage,  or  a  religious  fanatic,  to 
envious  despair.  It  was  a  dangerous  game 
she  was  playing,  and,  with  a  nature  less 
forceful  and  less  self-contained  than  that  of 
her  victim,  the  tragedy  would  have  come 
sooner  than  it  did. 

One  night  just  at  sunset  she  ascended  to 


A  Declaration  of  War  153 

the  deck,  and  found  Craig  standing  by  the 
rail  watching  the  glowing  orb  of  day  as  it 
slowly  sank  into  the  tumbling  waste  of  water 
to  the  westward.  With  an  assumption  of 
unconscious  interest  in  the  scene,  which  was 
one  of  her  favourite  weapons,  she  came  and 
stood  beside  him,  watching  the  vivid  ever- 
changing  glory  in  the  sky,  and  apparently 
unconscious  of  his  presence.  She  was  garbed 
in  a  simple  gown  of  white  lace  cut  square 
at  the  throat,  and  Craig,  in  his  despair, 
thought  he  had  never  seen  her  more  beautiful 
or  more  alluring.  The  fresh  southwest 
breeze  had  loosened  some  of  the  tendrils  of 
her  hair  from  their  confinement,  whipping 
the  strands  across  the  bronzed  face  of  the 
man,  like  tiny  lashes  goading  him  to  mad- 
ness. 

Alice,  out  of  the  corner  of  her  eye,  watched 
the  compression  of  his  whitening  lips  and 
the  small  red  spot  which  was  burning  in  his 
well-bronzed  cheek.  A  sort  of  telepathic  un- 
derstanding was  gradually  growing  up  be- 
tween them.  Each  knew  the  thought  that 
was  in  the  other's  mind,  and  each  knew  that 


154  The  Dominant  Chord 

the  other  knew.  At  length  one  of  the  strands 
of  her  hair  got  caught  in  his  nostril,  causing 
him  to  sneeze.  Alice  laughed,  a  short,  mad- 
dening little  laugh  with  a  catch  in  it. 

Then  the  storm  broke.  With  burning  eyes 
Craig  turned  swiftly  towards  her. 

"  By  all  the  gods  you  are  mine  and  I  will 
have  you !  "  he  cried  hoarsely. 

Like  a  rifle  bullet  came  back  the  clear  and 
cutting  reply. 

**  By  the  one  eternal  God  you  will  not!  " 

Craig,  his  hands  clenched  at  his  side,  took  n 
one  step  towards  her.  Suddenly  he  felt  the 
muzzle  of  the  little  automatic  pistol  pressed 
against  his  breast.  Back  of  it  was  Alice's 
white,  uncompromising  face,  with  a  gleam 
in  the  eyes  which  he  had  seen  there  once 
before. 

At  the  touch  of  the  steel  his  madness  fell 
away  from  him,  leaving  him  cold  and  deadly 
calm. 

**  Well,  why  don't  you  shoot f  "  he  asked 
evenly.    **  You  are  perfectly  justified." 

"  Why  should  I  shoot?  "  she  replied  scorn- 
fully.    "  If  I  kill  you,  you  would  cease  to 


A  Declaration  of  War  155 

suffer.  There  is  no  suffering  in  death  but 
for  those  who  remain,  and  I  want  you  to 
suffer/' 

**  You  want  me  to  suffer,  do  you!  "  he 
replied,  with  sombre  eyes  glowing  into  hers. 
**  Well,  you  shall  have  your  wish." 

Suddenly  Alice  felt  the  hand  that  held  the 
pistol  seized  in  a  vise-like  grip,  long,  slender 
fingers  of  steel  were  closing  around  her  own, 
compressing  her  grasp  upon  the  trigger. 
With  a  muffled  scream  she  wrenched  at  her 
hand,  striving  to  divert  the  muzzle  of  the 
weapon,  but  too  late.  There  was  a  flash,  a 
confused  ringing  in  her  ears,  and  Craig  sank 
to  the  deck  without  a  sound. 

For  a  moment  she  stood  petrified,  horror- 
struck.  A  thin  wreath  of  smoke  curled  up 
from  the  muzzle  of  the  pistol  in  her  hand  and 
quickly  dissolved  in  the  atmosphere.  The 
awning  over  the  taffrail  flapped  twice.  For 
a  moment  the  lace  above  her  bosom  ceased 
to  rise  and  fall,  seeming  in  its  motionlessness 
as  though  it  covered  the  bust  of  a  waxen 
image.  Then  with  a  low  moan  she  dropped 
to  her  knees  beside  the  motionless  form  and 


156  The  Dominant  Chord 

began  to  search  hurriedly,  bhndly,  for  the 
wound. 

Craig's  soft  flannel  shirt  was  scorched  and 
blackened  over  his  breast  by  the  round  ring 
of  the  powder  charge,  so  close  had  the 
weapon  been  held.  It  seemed  as  though  her 
terror-numbed  fingers  would  never  be  able 
to  unfasten  the  buttons.  At  last  she  got  it 
open,  and  tearing  away  the  thin  gauze  row- 
ing shirt,  which  she  found  beneath,  she 
passed  her  trembling  hands  over  the  smooth, 
white  flesh  in  search  of  the  fatal  spot.  Then 
her  fears  gave  place  to  wonder.  On  the  firm, 
well-rounded  contour  of  the  thorax  there  was 
no  mark,  no  crimson  blood,  no  gaping  wound ; 
nothing  but  a  round,  red  spot  above  the  heart, 
an  abrasion,  as  though  the  skin  had  been 
bruised  by  a  sharp  blow. 

Thrusting  her  hand  into  the  pocket  of  his 
shirt  in  search  of  an  explanation  of  the  mira- 
cle Alice  drew  forth  Craig's  watch,  shattered 
beyond  repair.  The  hardened  steel  of  the 
back  plate  had  deflected  the  bullet,  causing 
it  to  pass  out  under  his  arm  without  even 
breaking  the  skin.     As  Alice  made  this  as- 


A  Declaration  of  War  157 

tonisliing  discovery,  Craig's  lips  fluttered, 
and  with  a  great,  gasping  intake  of  breath 
he  opened  his  eyes  and  looked  up  at  her  as 
she  bent  over  him. 

**  Well,  am  I  safely  ticketed  for  the  Great 
Beyond?  "  he  asked  faintly. 

*'  Ticketed  for  nowhere." 

Alice,  in  the  reaction  from  her  terror,  was 
growing  angry.  "  You  are  not  hurt.  You 
are  not  even  wounded.  Your  watch  case  de- 
flected the  bullet.  I  am  afraid  it  is  ruined, 
though. ' ' 

'^  Oh,  it  is  merely  a  question  of  time  then, 
and  not  of  eternity. ' '    He  smiled. 

**  I  don't  see  how  you,  who  have  been  so 
close  to  death,  can  jest  about  it." 

<<  Why  not?  Death  is  always  at  our  elbow 
in  this  world,  and  an  inch  of  a  miss  is  as 
good  as  a  mile.  It  was  certainly  a  solar 
plexus  you  handed  me,  though.  I  wonder  if 
I  can  stand  up?  " 

*'  Oh,  please,  please,"  cried  Alice,  wring- 
ing her  hands  as  Craig  rose  unsteadily  to 
his  feet.  ''If  we  must  remain  here  until 
you  are  cured  of  your  mad  infatuation,  can't 


158  The  Dominant  Chord 

we  at  least  live  in  harmony:  can't  we  avoid 
these  terrible  scenes?  " 

*'  With  all  my  heart,'*  cried  Craig  joy- 
fully. *'  Harmony  is  the  one  desire  of  my 
life.  These  scenes,  as  you  call  them,  have 
not  been  of  my  seeking. ' ' 

*'  I  know  it.  I  know  it,"  cried  the  girl 
eagerly,  **  I  acknowledge  my  fault.  Here,  I 
will  give  you  a  pledge."  She  stooped  as  she 
spoke,  and  seizing  the  pistol,  threw  it  far 
over  the  side  into  the  sea.  "  There,  I  am 
quite  at  your  mercy  now.  I  shall  have  to  rely 
on  your  honour  as  a  gentleman  to  protect 
me." 

**  I  have  nothing  to  throw  overboard  but 
myself,"  responded  Craig  gravely,  *'  and 
that  would  leave  you  with  rather  more  than 
your  share  of  the  work  to  do  on  board.  Are 
we  going  to  be  chums  in  the  future?  "Will 
you  shake  hands  on  it?  " 

*'  Yes." 

**  And  are  we  not  some  day  going  to  be 
something  even  nearer  and  dearer?  "  he 
asked  seriously. 

"  No.     Certainly  not,"  cried  Alice,  bri- 


A  Declaration  of  War  159 

dling  at  once,   and  withdrawing  her  hand. 
'*  That  was  not  a  part  of  the  contract." 

**  Perhaps  yon  are  right,  but  I  do  not  think 
so.    In  the  end  the  strongest  thing  will  win." 


CHAPTER  Xin 

A   STEANGE   HUNTING 

When  Alice  awoke  from  her  siesta  the 
following  day,  the  intuitive  perception  of 
conditions  on  board  the  Sabine,  which  she 
was  rapidly  acquiring,  told  her  that  the  yacht 
was  no  longer  in  motion.  Pushing  back  the 
sliding  door  of  the  library  and  stepping  out 
into  the  saloon,  she  found  herself  in  the 
semi-darkness  of  an  unilluminated  apart- 
ment. What  light  there  was  entered  the 
cabin  through  a  series  of  large  panels  which 
extended  entirely  around  the  exterior  wall 
of  the  apartment  between  the  pilasters,  and 
occupied  the  entire  space  between  the  low 
wainscoting  and  the  cornice  work  which  sup- 
ported the  ceiling. 

Alice  had  never  examined  the  walls  of  the 
saloon  particularly,  further  than  to  note  that 
they  had  been  treated  in  dark  green  of  neu- 
tral tint  to  harmonize  with  the  colour  scheme 

160 


A  Strange  Hunting  161 

obtaining  in  the  rest  of  the  apartment.  She 
now  perceived  that  this  unobtrusive  decora- 
tive effect  had  served  to  conceal  heavy  trans- 
parent plates  which  had  been  wrought  into 
the  vessel's  side  and  through  which  one 
standing  within  could  obtain  a  view  in  every 
direction. 

The  Sabine  was  resting  motionless  upon 
the  smooth,  sandy  floor  of  the  ocean  bottom 
in  the  midst  of  a  leafless  forest  of  gnarled 
and  stunted  coral  formations,  interspersed 
with  dense  thickets  of  kelp  and  seaweed, 
whose  delicate  waving  tips  swayed  and 
tossed  in  the  currents  that  agitated  them, 
like  aspens  quivering  responsively  to  the 
amorous  touches  of  an  April  zephyr.  The 
yacht  seemed  to  be  the  core  and  centre  of  a 
soft,  diffused  light  which  penetrated  in  every 
direction  to  the  distance  of  perhaps  a  hun- 
dred yards,  illuminating  the  sombre  isles  of 
the  coral  forest  until  its  pervasive  radiance 
was  lost  and  dissipated  in  the  eternal  gloom 
of  the  ocean's  tenebrious  depths. 

Wliat  the  nature  of  this  light  was,  Alice 
could    not    discover,   but    it    had    evidently 


162  The  Dominant  Chord 

served  to  attract  all  the  fishes  in  the  vicinity, 
for  the  yacht  was  surrounded  by  myriads  of 
the  finny  denizens  of  the  deep,  who  wheeled 
and  circled  and  darted  through  the  branches 
of  this  submarine  sylvania,  like  flocks  of 
brilliant-hued  birds. 

As  Alice  stood  spell-bound  watching  this 
beautiful  and  ever-changing  spectacle,  she 
saw  a  figure  emerge  from  a  thicket  of  tan- 
gled marine  plants  and  approach  the  yacht 
along  the  sandy  ocean  bottom.  It  was  Craig, 
clad  in  a  diving  suit,  and  bearing  on  the  top 
of  his  huge,  ungainly  submarine  helmet  a 
small  electric  light,  which  glowed  and  glis- 
tened through  the  transparent  green  of  the 
water  like  a  luminous  star. 

Alice,  suspecting  that  he  was  engaged  in 
some  secret  occupation,  drew  back  in  the 
shadows  to  watch  him.  A  few  steps  brought 
the  engineer  to  the  bows  of  the  yacht,  where 
he  temporarily  disappeared  from  view.  He 
soon  reappeared,  however,  staggering  under 
the  burden  of  one  of  the  heavy  mushroom 
anchors,  which  Alice  had  seen  stacked  up  in 
the  storeroom  of  the  yacht.     This  he  pro- 


A  Strange  Hunting  163 

ceeded  to  bury  in  the  soft  ooze  a  short  dis- 
tance away.  When  this  was  accomplished 
he  disappeared  again,  and  soon  returned 
dragging  after  him  a  length  of  heavy  cable 
whose  other  end  was  apparently  connected 
to  something  which  was  still  concealed  from 
view  in  the  diving  chamber  of  the  submarine. 

Alice's  curiosity  was  now  thoroughly 
aroused.  She  was  burning  to  know  what 
all  these  preparations  could  mean.  She  was 
soon  enlightened,  for  shackling  the  cable  to 
the  stock  of  the  anchor,  Craig  returned  to 
the  diving  chamber. 

Alice  saw  the  cable  suddenly  tighten  and 
jerk  upward,  and  raising  her  eyes  she  beheld, 
tugging  and  straining  at  the  end  of  its  short 
tether,  dipping  and  swaying  in  the  current 
like  a  captive  balloon  floating  in  the  atmos- 
phere, the  device  on  which  the  engineer  had 
long  been  working,  and  which  he  had  once 
told  her  was  a  tide  motor.  The  shackled 
servant  of  his  brain  being  safely  enchained, 
Craig  reappeared  bearing  a  couple  of  buck- 
ets of  what  appeared  to  be  some  form  of 
cement.    This  he  piled  up  around  the  anchor 


164  The  Dominant  Chord 

stock  until  after  a  number  of  trips  a  pyramid 
had  been  raised,  which  the  action  of  the 
water  was  rapidly  turning  into  a  solid  block 
of  stone.  On  returning  from  his  last  trip  he 
perceived  Alice  watching  him,  her  face 
pressed  against  the  transparent  panel  in 
absorbed,  unconscious  interest.  He  waved 
his  hand  to  her  in  greeting,  disappeared 
within  the  diving  chamber,  and  a  few  min- 
utes later  she  heard  his  approaching  foot- 
steps in  the  passageway. 

**  Congratulate  me!  Miss  Huntington," 
he  cried  with  beaming  face,  as  he  entered  the 
saloon,  *'  the  first  unit  of  the  power  that  will 
one  day  move  the  world  is  placed  and  in 
action.  I  am  sure  you  wish  the  experiment 
success. ' ' 

"  If  it  is  to  be  for  the  good  of  humanity, 
I  most  certainly  do,  but  you  can  hardly  ex- 
pect the  captive  to  share  in  her  jailer's  en- 
thusiasm. ' ' 

"  Now,  that  is  what  I  call  unkind.  In  the 
moment  of  my  exaltation  you  remind  me  that, 
while  nominally  your  captor,  I  am  in  reality 
your  slave,  bound  by  withes  of  steel  to  your 


A  Strange  Hunting  165 

chariot  wheels.  But  what  think  you,  Serene 
Highness,  is  it  not  worth  the  inconvenience 
of  being  abducted  to  behold  a  sight  like  this  ? 
Can  the  birds  of  the  air  discover  a  more  vivid 
and  varied  picture  of  form,  colour  and  mo- 
tion? *' 

Craig  waved  his  hand  toward  the  panel  as 
he  spoke.  It  was,  indeed,  a  wonderful  sight. 
The  submarine  was  surrounded  by  myriads 
upon  myriads  of  fish,  attracted  and  fasci- 
nated by  the  light  which  emanated  from  her. 
Fish  of  all  sizes,  shapes  and  colours,  squirrel 
fish,  angel  fish,  tangs,  pork  fish,  with  their 
brilliant  yellow  stripes,  soap  fish,  negro  fish, 
hound  fish,  with  their  slender  attenuated  bod- 
ies and  light  blue  and  silver  colourings ;  mul- 
lets, horse-heads,  carboneros,  mouse  fish 
with  their  grotesque  forms  and  fussy  little 
personalities ;  blue  and  yellow  seweyas,  those 
cutthroats  of  the  finny  tribe,  ready  on  the 
instant  to  rip  open  the  side  of  an  enemy  with 
the  sharp  curved  spine,  which  they  carry 
within  their  bodies  near  the  caudal  fin  like 
a  stiletto  in  its  sheath ;  amber  fish,  old  wives, 
Spanish  ladies,  pompanos,  and  a  thousand 


166  The  Dominant  Chord 

others  wheeled  and  circled  and  flocked  around 
the  submarine  in  a  kaleidoscopic  mass  of 
colour  and  motion  until  the  long,  dark  form 
of  some  predatory  member  of  the  selachoides 
darted  out  of  the  gloom,  sending  them  scur- 
rying to  cover  like  song  birds  at  the  appear- 
ance of  the  red-tailed  hawk.  Every  pigment 
and  colour  known  to  art  was  represented  in 
their  gleaming  bodies  —  gold,  purple,  violet, 
scarlet,  amber,  pink,  green,  yellow,  mauve 
and  blue  grouped  and  arranged  in  the  most 
bizarre  patterns.  Forms  as  slender  and 
graceful  as  a  mermaid,  forms  so  grotesque, 
so  distorted,  so  terrible  that  they  seemed  like 
the  fragments  of  some  long  forgotten  night- 
mare ;  forms  that  the  most  vivid  human  im- 
agination never  could  have  conceived,  drifted 
and  darted  across  the  field  of  vision. 

**  Oh,  see!  "  cried  Alice  suddenly,  "  here 
is  one  which  looks  for  all  the  world  like  a 
sultana  roll." 

The  fish  which  had  drawn  forth  this  ex- 
clamation was  indeed  arrayed  in  a  brilliant 
and  variegated  motley.  It  had  stopped  be- 
fore   one    of   the    transparent   panels    and 


A  Strange  Hunting  167 

seemed  to  be  regarding  them  curiously  out 
of  its  great,  amber-coloured  eyes.  Its  body 
was  marked  with  six  perpendicular  black 
stripes  intersecting  brilliant  horizontal  bands 
of  purple,  green,  red,  yellow,  blue  and  gray, 
while  the  head  was  variegated  with  green 
and  wine-coloured  markings  radiating  from 
its  eyes  after  the  pattern  of  the  rising  sun 
ensign  of  Japan. 

**  That  is  strange,"  remarked  Craig,  curi- 
ously. "  It  looks  like  a  flower  parrot,  the 
Mai  Guawah  of  the  Singhalese.  I  have  nevei' 
known  of  its  being  found  except  on  the  south- 
ern coast  of  Ceylon.  I  guess  we  will  have  to 
have  that  fellow  for  our  aquarium." 

**  Aquarium!  "  echoed  Alice,  *'  I  don't  see 
what  you  want  of  an  aquarium  when  you  can 
immerse  yourself  at  will  in  the  midst  of  the 
greatest  aquarium  in  nature." 

''  That  is  true  if  I  desired  to  observe  only 
for  the  sake  of  amusement,  but  there  are 
many  inhabitants  of  the  deep  whose  habits 
and  mode  of  life  are  little  known  which  one 
ought  to  desire  to  study  and  observe  more 
closely.    For  such  as  these  we  have  provided 


168  The  Dominant  Chord 

temporary  accommodations  on  board,  where 
they  can  range  at  will  among  their  natural 
surroundings  and  yet  still  be  always  under 
a  watchful  and  friendly  eye.    You  shall  see. ' ' 

As  he  spoke,  he  stepped  to  the  cabinet 
where  the  electric  switches  were  concealed 
and  closed  a  circuit.  Instantly  the  soft, 
purring  sound  of  an  electric  dynamo  was 
heard,  and  in  the  midst  of  the  dark  green 
onyx  panels,  which  formed  the  dividing  par- 
tition between  the  saloon  and  the  apartments 
beyond,  milky  spots  appeared.  These  spread 
rapidly,  driving  the  dark  green  markings  of 
the  onyx  before  them  as  clouds  dissolve  upon 
the  surface  of  a  photographic  plate,  leaving 
the  panels  as  clear  and  crystalline  as  flawless 
plate  glass. 

Alice  at  once  perceived  that  a  space  had 
been  left  in  the  thickness  of  the  partition 
some  two  feet  deep,  which  was  backed  by  a 
sheet  of  softly  luminous  material  similar  to 
that  which  was  used  in  the  lighting  panels 
of  the  ceiling.  The  space  was  entirely  filled 
with  clear  and  sparkling  sea  water,  and  the 
floor  had  been  strewn  with  fine  white  sand 


A  Strange  Hunting  169 

and  was  decorated  with  kelp  and  seaweed 
and  graceful  coral  formations. 

' '  These  are  the  temporary  quarters  of  our 
finny  guests,"  smiled  Craig.  *'  Do  you  ap- 
prove of  them?  " 

'*  They  are  certainly  very  ingenious,"  re- 
plied Alice,  ' '  but  how  do  you  induce  them  to 
enter!  " 

"  Oh,  that  is  the  easiest  part  of  it.  We 
simply  extend  them  an  earnest  and  pressing 
invitation  to  step  into  our  parlour,  as  the 
hospitable  spider  once  did  to  the  bashful  and 
retiring  fly.  I  have  been  waiting  until  we 
reached  the  warmer  waters  of  the  tropics 
before  stocking  up  our  crystal  palace,  as  the 
fish  of  the  equatorial  region  are  much  more 
varied  and  interesting  than  those  of  the  tem- 
perate seas.  But  I  guess  we  shall  have  to 
make  a  beginning  on  your  sultana  roll 
friend." 

As  Craig  spoke,  he  closed  another  switch, 
and  Alice  saw  that  the  tank  was  connected 
with  the  exterior  ocean  by  a  large  tube  of 
what  appeared  to  be  glass,  which  ended  in 
a  funnel-shaped  opening  in  the  side  of  the 


170  The  Dominant  Chord 

ship.  In  a  recess  of  this  tube  a  curious  form 
of  valveless  diaphragm  pump  was  sucking 
the  water  into  the  conduit  and  discharging 
it  through  a  syphon-like  tube  into  the  tank. 

The  Mai  Guawah  was  still  swimming 
around  near  the  window  when  the  Sabine 
began  to  move  slowly  backward,  bringing  it 
opposite  the  inlet.  The  unsuspecting  quarry 
was  soon  drawn  gently  towards  the  opening 
by  an  imperceptible  current,  until  suddenly, 
realizing  that  something  was  wrong,  it 
started  to  dart  away,  but  too  late.  With  a 
rapid  increase  of  speed  the  pump  injected  a 
powerful  jet  into  the  tank,  drawing  the  fish 
into  the  opening  in  spite  of  its  struggles,  and 
throwing  it  up  through  the  syphon  tube  into 
the  aquarium,  where  it  was  soon  swimming 
calmly  about  as  if  it  had  entirely  forgotten 
its  strange  experience,  and  displaying  its 
vivid  and  glowing  colours  against  the  lumi- 
nous background  like  a  small,  animated  sec- 
tion of  a  solar-spectrum. 

The  first  specimen  having  been  safely  se- 
cured, Craig  moved  the  yacht  slowly  about, 
searching  for  others.    A  fine  specimen  of  a 


A  Strange  Hunting  171 

blue  tang  was  soon  captured,  together  with 
a  red  hind,  a  gold  bridal  parrot  fish,  a  flying 
gurnard,  or  bat  fish,  and  several  of  the  funny 
little  black,  white  and  yellow  mouse  fish  be- 
fore mentioned. 

Craig,  in  making  his  captures,  was  careful 
to  select  only  those  specimens  which  were 
reasonably  sure  to  live  together  in  harmony, 
as  the  introduction  of  one  of  the  smaller 
selachoides  into  his  happy  family  would  have 
quickly  depleted  his  collection.  As  there  was 
no  lack  of  game  to  furnish  quarries  for  this 
strange  hunting,  the  aquarium  was  soon  filled 
with  specimens  of  every  form,  variety  and 
colour. 

As  the  Sabine  moved  slowly  forward 
through  the  waving  tendrils  and  coral 
branches  of  the  submarine  forest,  Alice  sud- 
denly clutched  Craig's  arm.  '*  Look!  "  she 
cried  excitedly.  On  the  outer  edge  of  the 
luminous  circle  of  which  the  Sabine  was  the 
core  and  centre,  a  dark  mass  rose  up  from 
among  the  twining  branches  of  the  coral  for- 
est like  a  great,  gray  ledge.  As  the  Sabine 
moved  closer,  it  was  seen  to  be  the  hull  of  a 


172  The  Dominant  Chord 

vessel,  weed-grown  and  covered  with  shells 
and  coral,  but  still  recognizable.  The  wreck 
was  evidently  of  great  antiquity,  for  the 
high,  carved  poop  and  castellated  forecastle 
revealed  a  type  of  marine  architecture  prev- 
alent in  the  fourteenth  and  fifteenth  centu- 
ries. The  masts  had  broken  close  off,  and 
stood,  short,  coral-encrusted  stumps,  above 
the  deck,  like  ghostly  accusing  fingers  point- 
ing up  to  Heaven. 

Craig  manoeuvred  the  yacht  so  as  to  pass 
entirely  around  the  hull,  marvelling  at  the 
wonderful  preservation  of  the  timbers  and 
the  quaintness  of  its  lines. 

As  they  passed  slowly  under  the  stem  he 
stopped  the  yacht  suddenly.  Barnacle  en- 
crusted and  draped  in  a  heavy  growth  of 
seaweed,  but  still  legible,  they  read,  in  great 
raised,  curiously  carved  letters,  the  name 
''  Santa  Maria,  Parlos.'^ 

*'  Can  it  be  possible!  "  whispered  Alice, 
awe  and  wonder  struggling  in  her  voice. 

**  The  flagship  of  Columbus?  '*  questioned 
Craig.  **  Possible,  but  not  probable;  there 
were  many  Santa  Marias  in  those  days.    The 


A  Strange  Hunting  173 

name  was  a  favourite  among  the  old  Spanish 
mariners,  and  doubtless  many  a  Santa  Maria 
has  sailed  out  of  Parlos  never  to  return. 
History  is  rather  vague  and  uncertain  as  to 
the  fate  of  the  original  ship  of  Columbus. 
Some  accounts  have  it  that  she  was  lost  on 
the  Mosquito  Coast  in  an  attempt  to  discover 
the  western  passage;  others  that  she  was 
broken  up  at  Cadiz  as  unseaworthy;  others 
that  she  went  down  in  a  sirocco  in  the  Le- 
vant.   This  is  worth  investigating,  however.'* 

Craig  hurried  from  the  saloon  as  he  spoke, 
and  Alice  soon  saw  him  clad  in  his  diving 
suit  on  the  ocean  bottom.  Approaching  the 
stern  of  the  wreck,  he  selected  a  position 
directly  beneath  the  latticed  cabin  windows, 
and  admitting  a  small  quantity  of  water 
through  a  valve  into  the  acetyline  chamber  of 
his  diving  suit,  floated  gently  up  to  the  curi- 
ously carved  gallery  which  extended  around 
the  stern.  Gaining  a  foothold  on  this,  he 
quickly  disappeared  within  one  of  the  dark, 
cavernous  openings  and  Alice  was  left  a  prey 
to  hopes  and  fears  and  expectations. 

Craig  was  lost  to  sight  for  almost  half  an 


174  The  Dominant  Chord 

hour,  and  Alice  was  beginning  to  be  seriously 
alarmed,  when  she  was  relieved  to  behold  the 
light  on  the  top  of  his  helmet  emerging  from 
a  hatchway  on  the  poop.  As  he  came  en- 
tirely into  view,  she  saw  that  he  was  carrying 
in  his  arms  something,  the  nature  of  which 
she  could  not  make  out.  Leaping  lightly 
from  the  poop  to  the  ocean  bottom,  Craig 
quickly  regained  the  diving  chamber,  and 
Alice  soon  heard  him  in  the  passageway. 

**  "Well,  I  don't  know  whether  I  have  dis- 
covered the  treasure  of  the  Incas,  or  the 
crown  jewels  of  Castile,"  he  laughed,  as  he 
deposited  his  find  on  the  table.  **  I  know 
it  is  heavy  enough,  though,  when  you  get  it 
out  of  the  water." 

The  object  was  evidently  a  cadenas  of  sil- 
ver or  some  other  metal,  tarnished  and  cor- 
roded a  deep  black,  and  thickly  encrusted 
with  minute  seashells  and  coral. 

Craig  went  forward  to  the  storeroom,  and 
soon  returned  with  a  hammer  and  chisel,  and, 
after  knocking  off  most  of  the  foreign  growth 
which  covered  the  casket  like  the  frosting  on 
a  wedding  cake,  he  succeeded,  with  a  few 


A  Strange  Hunting  175 

well-directed  strokes,  in  prying  off  the  lid. 
The  box  was  entirely  filled  with  a  loose  and 
heterogeneous  mass  of  old  and  water-worn 
coins.  Spanish  doubloons,  pieces  of  eight, 
English  sovereigns,  coins  from  all  the  mari- 
time countries  which  border  on  the  Mediter- 
ranean, and  little  bars  and  ingots  of  metal, 
whose  weight  and  discolouration  indicated 
them  to  be  gold  and  silver.  At  the  bottom 
of  the  box  was  discovered  a  beautifully 
wrought  crucifix  attached  to  a  heavy  silver 
chain  and  the  silver  hUt  of  a  poniard  ex- 
quisitely picked  out  in  delicate  arabesques, 
a  superb  example  of  the  armourer's  art. 
The  blade  of  the  dagger  had  been  entirely 
eaten  away,  a  brown,  rusty  streak  only  show- 
ing where  the  tang  had  entered  the  hilt.  A 
beautifully  carved  tourmaline  had  been  set 
in  the  pommel,  and  in  examining  the  stone 
Craig  accidentally  touched  a  secret  spring, 
when  the  piece  came  off  in  his  hand,  showing 
it  to  be  a  heavy  signet  ring  which  had  been 
cunningly  contrived  to  fit  into  a  recess  in  the 
pommel,  for  the  convenience,  doubtless,  of 
the  owner  when  he  did  not  wish  to  wear  it 


176  The  Dominant  Chord 

on  his  finger.  The  stone  was  skilfully  quar- 
tered with  the  arms  of  Castile  and  Leon,  and 
on  rubbing  the  heavy  filigree  setting,  the 
salient  points  of  the  gold  soon  began  to  gleam 
with  their  pristine  lustre. 

**  This  is  indeed  a  find,"  cried  Craig  glee- 
fully; **  this  can  be  nothing  less  than  the 
signet  of  the  renowned  Isabella  herself.  "We 
will  say  it  is,  at  any  rate,  and  who  is  there 
to  dispute  us?  Would  you  like  to  see  how 
the  insignia  of  royalty  becomes  your  patri- 
cian finger?  "  went  on  Craig,  banteringly. 

Alice  was  intently  examining  the  marvel- 
lous carving  of  the  crucifix,  and  stretched  out 
her  hand  for  the  ring  without  looking  up. 
The  next  thing  she  realized  Craig  had  taken 
it  in  his  own  and  slipped  the  heavy  signet 
over  her  third  finger,  at  the  same  time  saying 
in  a  deep  and  solemn  voice :  *  *  With  this 
ring  I  thee  wed.*' 

For  a  moment  the  unexpectedness  of  the 
thing  held  her  motionless;  a  powerful  cur- 
rent seemed  to  be  flowing  through  the  contact 
which  their  fingers  made,  permeating  and 
thrilling  her  entire  body,  and  then :  —  snatch- 


A  Strange  Hunting  177 

ing  her  hand  from  his  reluctant  grasp,  she 
sprang  erect,  facing  him,  her  eyes  flashing 
lightning  glances  and  every  fibre  of  her  form 
quivering  with  anger.  For  a  moment  thus, 
and  then,  tearing  the  heavy  signet  from  her 
finger,  she  flung  it  to  the  farthest  corner  of 
the  cabin  and  swept  from  the  room. 

Craig  stood  motionless  for  a  moment  look- 
ing after  her  with  his  inscrutable  smile,  and 
then,  starting  the  pumps  which  brought  the 
Sahine  to  the  surface,  he  ascended  to  the 
deck. 

On  returning  to  the  saloon  an  hour  later, 
a  careful  search  of  that  part  of  the  cabin 
where  Alice  had  thrown  it  failed  to  reveal 
the  ring.  Craig  went  over  the  ground  care- 
fully several  times.  The  silver  cadenas,  with 
its  heap  of  coins,  the  crucifix,  the  carved  hilt 
of  the  poniard,  all  were  there,  but  the  signet 
of  the  royal  Isabella  had  unaccountably  dis- 
appeared. 


CHAPTER   XIV 

THE   POWERS   OP   OMNIUM 

Day  after  day  the  Sabine  held  her  course 
leisurely  southward.  The  biting  February 
gales  of  the  Hook  gave  place  to  the  warm 
and  languorous  breath  of  the  tropics.  By 
day  the  ocean  surrounded  them  a  sheet  of 
glittering  sapphire,  while  at  night  the  stars 
glowed  on  the  soft  black  velvet  of  the  sky 
like  luminous  lamps  of  love  beckoning  them 
to  some  enchanted  region  below  the  horizon. 
Often  they  passed  small,  heavily  wooded 
cays  or  islands  clothed  in  a  luxuriance  of 
tropical  verdure,  and  at  times  the  air  would 
be  heavy  with  the  scent  of  orange  blossoms 
and  the  flowering  eucalyptus. 

One  day  the  luminous  pointer  of  the  telau- 
tographic  chart  told  Alice  that  they  had 
forced  the  Mona  Passage  and  had  entered 
that  realm  of  romance,  that  treasure  house 
of  story  and  legend,  the  Caribbean  Sea.  At 
178 


The  Powers  of  Omnium  179 

last  they  were  floating  on  the  waters  where 
had  ploughed  the  treasure-laden  galleons  of 
old,  where  Drake  and  Morgan  had  led  their 
picturesque  cutthroats  and  buccanneers, 
where  the  great  Columbus  had  steered  his 
caravels  in  search  of  the  western  passage, 
and  where  Cortez,  Pizarro  and  Balboa  had 
led  their  conquistadors  to  the  subjugation  of 
a  new  world. 

As  the  days  passed  away  in  this  enchanted 
region  of  warmth  and  sunshine,  Alice  grad- 
ually ceased  to  think  of  the  strangeness  of 
her  situation.  The  old  life  back  in  New  York, 
with  its  round  of  teas,  theatres  and  recep- 
tions, its  many  insistent,  inconsequential 
trivialities,  seemed  infinitely  remote.  The 
pure  patrician  pallor  of  her  face  had  given 
place  to  the  ruddy  glow  of  perfect  and  ex- 
uberant health.  The  charm,  the  alluring 
mysticism,  the  sensuous  appeal  of  the  trop- 
ics was  entering  into  her  and  claiming  her 
for  its  own. 

Something  was  growing  and  expanding 
within  her  nature,  something  which  she  little 
suspected  and  still  less  understood.    In  Craig 


180  The  Dominant  Chord 

she  found  an  interesting  companion  as  well 
as  a  stubborn  jailer.  It  could  not  be  said 
that  he  suited  his  moods  to  hers,  rather  that 
he  moulded  and  bent  her  moods  to  his.  To 
a  certaiQ  extent  he  dominated  her,  and  the 
occasional  realization  of  the  fact  never  failed 
to  throw  her  into  a  violent  outburst  of  tem- 
per, as  if  to  repudiate  what  her  very  vehe- 
mence revealed.  These  outbursts  gained  in 
violence  as  they  became  less  frequent,  as  if 
they  hoped  to  make  up  in  intensity  what  they 
lacked  in  pertinacity.  After  one  of  these 
outbursts  Alice  would  confine  herself  to  her 
cabin  for  days  at  a  time. 

Craig  bowed  his  head  to  the  storms,  and 
busied  himself  with  his  drafting  board  until 
curiosity,  impatience  or  anger  drove  her  out 
of  retirement  again.  There  was  a  whimsical, 
boyish  ingenuousness  about  him  at  times  that 
drew  her  strangely  without  her  knowing  it, 
a  mood  which  masked  but  did  not  conceal  the 
man  of  iron  will  and  inflexible  purpose. 

These  days  of  aimless  wandering  on  an 
ocean  of  dreams  were  not  days  of  idleness 
for  Craig.    For  hours  at  a  time  he  would  sit 


The  Powers  of  Omnium  181 

bending  over  his  drafting  table  or  figuring 
out  stresses  and  strains  in  the  new  mate- 
rial lie  was  developing.  For  hours  at  a  time 
they  would  sit  together  in  the  chart  house, 
or,  in  the  evening,  under  the  awning  over  the 
stem,  talking  of  his  plans,  hopes,  and  aspira- 
tions, and  Alice  was  acquiring  an  insight  into 
a  phase  of  life,  a  strata  of  activity,  of  the 
existence  of  which  she  had  before  been 
hardly  conscious. 

It  was  on  one  of  these  balmy,  tropical  eve- 
nings, as  they  sat  under  the  taffrail  awning, 
that  Craig  told  her  his  story  and  of  the  won- 
derful substance  whose  discovery  he  expected 
to  revolutionize  social  and  economic  condi- 
tions ;  a  story  which  held  her  breathless  and 
spellbound  until  its  close.  She  had  asked 
him  about  the  marvellous  windows  of  the 
chart  house,  and  of  what  they  could  be  made 
to  resist  the  enormous  pressure  of  the  water 
in  submerging. 

''  That  material,"  replied  Craig,  in  answer 
to  her  question,  **  is  omnium,  the  most  won- 
derful substance  in  the  world  to-day,  the 
story  of  the  discovery  and  development  of 


182  The  Dominant  Chord 

which  is  practically  the  story  of  my  recent 
life.'' 

**  It  must  he  very  interesting.  Won't  you 
tell  it  to  me  1  " 

**  Willingly.  If  you  can  imagine  a  sub- 
stance having  the  specific  gravity  of  alumi- 
num, forty  times  the  tensile  strength  of  va- 
nadium steel,  the  elasticity  of  pure  rubber, 
the  transparency  of  glass,  ten  times  the  con- 
ductivity of  pure  copper  under  certain  con- 
ditions, and  an  absolute  electrical  insulator 
under  certain  others,  you  can  form  a  partial 
conception  of  this  remarkable  substance. 

**  The  story  of  how  I  came  to  be  mixed  up 
in  it  is  briefly  told.  I  had  just  landed  in 
New  York  from  a  three  years'  sojourn  on 
the  Isthmus,  where  I  had  been  engaged  on 
some  of  the  engineering  work  in  the  Canal 
Zone,  and  was  strolling  aimlessly  up  Broad- 
way when  I  ran  into  an  old  friend,  a  chum 
of  my  student  days.  We  were  delighted  to 
see  each  other,  and  promptly  adjourned  to 
the  Engineering  Club  to  swap  experiences. 
He  had  just  returned  from  an  exploring  ex- 
pedition to  Labrador  in  the  interest  of  the 


The  Powers  of  Omnium  183 

Government  at  Quebec,  and  was  full  of  en- 
thusiasm regarding  a  wonderful  water  power 
located  in  the  unexplored  interior  of  that 
little  known  country,  rumours  concerning 
which  he  had  picked  up  among  the  Indians 
of  the  fishing  villages  along  the  coast.  The 
wanderlust,  the  thirst  for  exploration,  was 
burning  strong  within  him,  and  his  thrilling 
tales  of  this  marvellous  country  fell  on  sym- 
pathetic ears. 

**  There  must  have  been  something  con- 
tagious in  his  enthusiasm,  for,  before  we 
parted  that  evening,  his  suggestion  that  we 
get  up  an  expedition  to  discover  this  mys- 
terious waterfall,  or  at  least  satisfy  our- 
selves that  it  did  not  exist,  had  been  agreed 
to,  and  we  had  planned  to  meet  the  following 
week  and  work  out  the  details. 

*'  To  make  a  long  story  short,  three  months 
later  found  us  at  a  little  fishing  village  on 
the  east  coast,  waiting  for  the  snow  to  give 
us  a  firm  footing  for  our  dog  teams. 

"  111  luck  seemed  to  pursue  our  expedition 
from  the  start.  We  had  hardly  penetrated  a 
hundred  miles  into  the  interior  before  smaU- 


184  The  Dominant  Chord 

pox  broke  out  among  the  party,  and  in  spite 
of  all  we  could  do,  four  of  our  men  were  car- 
ried off  by  it.  Charlie  was  the  last  one  to 
come  down  with  it.  We  did  everything  we 
could  for  him,  but  on  the  twentieth  day  from 
the  time  we  left  the  coast  he  died,  and  we 
buried  his  body  beside  the  trail.  Almost  his 
last  words  were,  '  Push  on.  Jack,  I  know  you 
will  find  it.' 

^  *  Well,  I  determined  to  push  on  with  what 
was  left  of  the  party,  but  though  the  small- 
pox seemed  to  have  left  us,  our  trials  were 
by  no  means  over.  A  malignant  disease  soon 
broke  out  among  the  dogs,  wiping  out  some 
of  the  teams  and  so  weakening  the  others 
that  we  were  obliged  to  cache  some  of  our 
provisions  and  leave  them  behind. 

**  In  spite  of  these  difficulties  we  had  suc- 
ceeded in  penetrating  into  the  region  where 
I  knew  the  waterfall  must  be  located,  if  it 
existed  at  all,  when  one  day,  on  returning 
to  camp  from  a  short  detour,  I  found  that 
my  party  had  decamped.  They  had  become 
alarmed  by  the  shrinkage  of  the  provisions 
and  our  distance  from  the  coast,  and  had 


The  Powers  of  Omnium  185 

taken  advantage  of  my  absence  to  hit  the 
back  trail.  My  position  was,  as  you  may  sup- 
pose, pretty  desperate,  and  would  have  been 
more  so  but  for  my  plan  of  dividing  supplies 
among  the  sledges  so  that  the  outfit  of  each 
sledge  would  be  complete  in  itself.  Thanks 
to  this  practice  it  turned  out  that  I  was  bet- 
ter supplied  with  the  one  team  I  had  with 
me  than  were  the  rest  of  the  party  with  their 
larger  numbers  to  feed. 

*'  As  I  am  of  a  somewhat  tenacious  dispo- 
sition, I  determined  to  take  one  more  day  in 
exploring  the  range  before  turning  back,  the 
more  so  as  I  judged  from  the  conformation 
of  the  region  that  I  must  be  in  the  immediate 
vicinity  of  the  falls,  if  falls  there  were.  My 
search  did  not  reveal  anything,  however,  and 
I  had  turned  my  dogs'  heads  to  the  coast, 
convinced  that  the  cataract  of  the  *  White 
Spirit  '  was  a  myth,  when  on  crossing  a  range 
my  ear  was  saluted  by  a  distant  booming 
which  I  at  once  recognized  as  the  sound  of 
falling  water. 

"  All  that  morning  I  followed  the  sound, 
until  late  in  the  afternoon  I  came  out  on  the 


186  The  Dominant  Chord 

banks  of  a  swiftly  flowing  river  at  the  foot 
of  a  wall  of  cliffs,  and  saw  a  sight  which  I 
shall  never  forget.  The  cliffs  rose  sheer 
from  the  valley  to  a  height  of  six  hundred 
feet,  and  from  the  top  the  bellowing  cataract 
made  its  leap  into  space.  The  volume  of 
water  was  not  as  great  as  that  which  flows 
out  of  Lake  Erie,  but  the  height  of  the  falls 
made  the  Horseshoe  seem  like  a  mill  dam 
in  comparison.  Here  was  a  water  power 
without  rival  in  the  world. 

**  I  spent  the  following  day  in  climbing  to 
the  tableland  above  the  falls  and  examining 
the  conformation  of  the  watershed  and  the 
character  of  the  country.  The  valley  was 
sheltered  from  the  north  by  a  high  range  of 
mountains  and  showed  indications  of  great 
mineral  wealth.  Of  my  journey  back  to  the 
coast  I  will  spare  you  the  details.  Sufficient 
to  say  that  I  arrived  at  the  settlement  with 
nothing  but  my  rifle  and  the  shinbone  of  my 
last  dog  hanging  over  my  shoulder. 

*'  In  another  month  I  was  back  in  New 
York  again  and  wondering  for  what  purpose 
I  had  expended  so  much  energy  and  labour, 


The  Powers  of  Omnium  187 

when  the  question  was  unexpectedly  an- 
swered for  me  in  a  most  remarkable  manner. 
''  It  seems  there  had  been  an  accident  on 
the  transmission  line  of  the  Niagara  Falls 
Power  Company;  an  enormous  short  circuit 
had  occurred  which  had  jumped  through 
everything,  partially  destroying  the  plant  and 
putting  the  lighting  system  of  several  cities 
and  towns  out  of  commission.  Its  source  was 
traced  to  the  laboratory  of  a  German  scien- 
tist, one  Herr  Rothe  by  name,  who  had  been 
killed  by  the  flash  and  whose  little  plant  had 
been  burned  down.  In  searching  among  the 
ruins  of  the  latter  a  small  rod  about  twelve 
inches  long  and  a  half  an  inch  in  diameter  of 
what  appeared  to  be  glass  was  discovered, 
but  on  examination  it  was  found  to  possess 
qualities  unknown  in  any  glass  up  to  that 
time.  It  happened  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  a 
man  who  brought  it  to  me  to  test.  I  soon 
found  that  I  had  a  remarkable  substance  un- 
der examination.  Though  apparently  noth- 
ing but  a  rod  of  perfectly  clear  glass,  it  had 
the  strength  and  toughness  of  the  finest  tool 
steel.     No  tool,  not  even  a  diamond  could 


188  The  Dominant  Chord 

make  any  impression  on  it.  If  sufficient 
power  were  applied  it  could  be  bent  into  a 
circle,  but  when  the  pressure  was  removed 
it  would  spring  back  to  its  original  shape, 
uninjured.  One  day,  in  seeking  to  determine 
its  elasticity,  I  tested  it  to  the  point  of 
destruction,  and  after  stretching  it  out  to 
about  twenty  times  its  natural  length  it  broke 
in  the  middle,  and  I  had  two  pieces  where 
before  I  had  had  but  one;  and  now  comes 
the  wonderful  part  of  the  story. 

**  One  day  I  was  testing  one  of  the  pieces 
in  an  electrical  circuit  to  determine  its  insu- 
lating qualities,  when  my  assistant  happened 
to  pick  up  the  other  piece,  which  was  lying 
on  a  table  nearby.  "With  a  yell  he  dropped  it 
like  a  red-hot  coal. 

*'  '  "What  is  the  matter?  '  I  asked. 

**  *  Matter,'  he  replied  angrily,  *  matter 
enough.  I  got  a  shock  off  of  that  darn  thing. 
It's  hotter  than  Hades.' 

' '  '  Nonsense, '  I  laughed,  and  picked  up  the 
piece  from  the  floor.  As  I  grasped  it  in  my 
hand  I  felt  nothing,  but  happening  to  put  my 
thumb  over  the  end  of  the  rod,  I  received  a 


The  Powers  of  Omnium  189 

shock  which  knocked  me  half  way  across  the 
room. 

'*  It  was  now  my  assistant's  turn  to  laugh, 
but  I  did  not  mind,  I  felt  that  I  was  on  the 
trail  of  something  big.  I  at  once  started  to 
investigate,  and  found  that  the  piee^  of  rod 
which  I  held  was  evidently  receiving  its  cur- 
rent from  the  piece  which  I  had  connected 
with  the  dynamo  circuit.  I  carried  it  into 
the  next  room  and  the  result  was  the  same. 
I  carried  it  home  with  me  to  the  other  end 
of  the  town,  and  there  was  apparently  no 
diminution  in  the  strength  of  the  current. 
My  head  was  beginning  to  swim  with  the 
magnitude  of  the  discovery.  By  arrange- 
ment with  the  superintendent  of  the  lighting 
plant,  I  substituted  my  two  pieces  of  rod  in 
place  of  the  return  leg  of  one  of  his  lighting 
circuits,  and  succeeded  in  transmitting  the 
full  amperage  over  a  distance  of  over  four 
miles  without  wires.  Then  I  knew  that  I  held 
in  my  hand  the  solution  of  the  wireless  trans- 
mission of  power,  but  the  problem  was  how 
to  duplicate  the  wonderful  substance. 

**  Herr  Eothe  had  died  evidently  at  the 


190  The  Dominant  Chord 

moment  of  success  and  had  taken  his  secret 
with  him.  I  made  a  careful  investigation 
among  his  effects  to  determine  the  materials 
with  which  he  had  been  experimenting,  and, 
so  far  as  possible,  his  methods,  and  after 
months  of  discouraging  work  and  innumer- 
able failures,  and  after  again  almost  wreck- 
ing the  plant  of  the  power  company,  I  suc- 
ceeded in  producing  a  small  rod  about 
three  inches  long  of  what  I  have  called 
omnium. 

"  The  rest  is  merely  a  story  of  develop- 
ment. I  had  at  my  command  the  knowledge 
of  a  vast  water  power,  and  the  means  to 
transmit  that  power  and  make  it  valuable. 
The  obtaining  of  the  grants  from  the  Gov- 
ernment at  Ottawa,  and  the  building  of  the 
laboratories  and  the  power  plant  at  the  foot 
of  the  falls  have  consumed  the  three  years 
since  I  first  met  you  at  the  Embassy  Ball, 
but  now  the  roar  of  my  battery  of  transmit- 
ters at  the  top  of  the  cliff  is  drowning  the 
thunder  of  the  cataract,  ready  to  furnish 
power  to  all  who  may  apply.*' 

"  And  you  mean  to  tell  me  that  the  power 


The  Powers  of  Omnium  191 

wliich  drives  this  boat  is  derived  from  a 
waterfall  in  the  wilds  of  Labrador!  " 

**  Precisely.  This  cruise  was  undertaken 
in  part  to  test  the  limits  of  transmission  and 
the  losses  entailed.  We  are  now  some  three 
thousand  miles  from  our  base  and  there  has 
been  as  yet  no  apparent  drop  in  our  power. '  * 

"  I  can  hardly  believe  it.  Have  you  any 
theory  which  satisfactorily  explains  the  phe- 
nomena! " 

**  Only  vaguely.  The  development  of  the 
substance  is  too  recent  to  have  all  of  its 
eccentricities  reduced  to  scientific  formulas. 
We  only  know  that  under  certain  conditions 
it  does  certain  things.  The  how  and  the  why 
are  still  matters  of  conjecture.  My  own  the- 
ory (hardly  a  scientific  one,  I  fear,  but  filling 
the  bill  as  far  as  a  working  hypothesis  goes) 
is  roughly  this :  —  Science,  in  order  to  satis- 
factorily explain  the  transmission  of  light 
and  heat,  had  to  create  ether  —  a  hypothet- 
ical element  of  extreme  tenuity  and  elas- 
ticity, pervading  all  matter  and  filling  the 
vastness  of  interstellar  space,  having  the 
property  of  transmitting  light  and  heat,  and 


192  The  Dominant  Chord 

of  producing  the  phenomena  of  electricity  and 
magnetism.  Now  bearing  in  mind  the  ex- 
treme elasticity  of  omnium,  why  is  it  not 
reasonable  to  suppose  that  when  a  rod  of  the 
substance  is  stretched  to  the  point  of  frac- 
ture, its  broken  ends  are  still  connected  by 
an  intangible,  impalpable  essence  beyond  the 
detection  of  our  dull  and  imperfect  senses, 
and  that  this  emanation,  essence,  or  what- 
ever you  choose  to  call  it,  has  the  power  to 
transmit  electrical  currents  practically  with- 
out loss.'* 

**  Then  all  you  have  to  do  to  obtain  power 
at  a  distance  is  to  take  a  mass  of  omnium, 
pull  it  apart,  connect  one  piece  to  a  dy- 
namo and  carry  the  other  piece  where  you 
will?  " 

*  *  That  is  the  idea  precisely. ' ' 

*  *  How  wonderful !  ' '  murmured  Alice. 

**  Would  you  like  to  see  the  mechanism  of 
our  receiving  end?  " 

'*  Very  much." 

Rising,  Craig  led  the  way  to  the  saloon, 
and  sliding  back  a  panel  under  the  staircase, 
revealed  a  long  passageway  which  led  for- 


The  Powers  of  Omnium  193 

ward,  between  his  apartments  and  those 
which  she  herself  occupied. 

Alice  had  never  ventured  into  this  part  of 
the  boat  before.  As  they  made  their  way 
forward,  they  passed  through  the  small  gal- 
ley or  kitchen  of  the  yacht,  equipped  upon 
one  side  with  refrigerating  compartments, 
cupboards  and  closets  for  stores,  and  on  the 
opposite  side  above  the  mixing  table  the 
walls  were  filled  with  a  number  of  electric 
ovens  and  broilers,  each  with  its  automatic 
time  switch  and  control. 

**  You  see  our  chef  has  no  excuse  for  fail- 
ures,*' Craig  remarked.  ''  The  temperature 
of  our  ovens  is  automatically  regulated  and 
shut  off  by  a  time  clock,  so  that  we  always 
get  accurate  results. ' ' 

Alice  would  fain  have  lingered  to  inspect 
this  modern  kitchen,  but  Craig  led  her  for- 
ward into  the  very  eyes  of  the  ship,  where 
the  power  plant  was  located.  Here,  mounted 
on  a  heavy  rail,  like  a  buss-bar,  was  a  large 
hemisphere  of  what  appeared  to  be  dull 
bronze  metal,  on  the  flat  upper  surface  of 
which  innumerable  tiny,  electric  sparks  were 


194  The  Dominant  Chord 

dancing  and  crackling,  giving  off  the  fresh 
pungent  odour  of  liberated  oxygen. 

'  *  That  does  not  look  very  formidable,  does 
it?  "  remarked  Craig.  **  But  from  the  other 
half  of  that  ball,  which  is  mounted  on  the 
cliff  overlooking  our  power  house,  a  stream 
of  electric  fire  several  yards  long  is  shooting 
out  into  space  with  the  roar  of  a  hundred 
Gatling  guns.'* 

**  It  must  be  a  wonderful  sight  to  see  your 
entire  battery  in  operation." 

"  It  is.    Some  day  you  shall  see  it." 

**  You  speak  very  confidently." 

"Why  not!  " 

**  You  must  not  think  that  the  interest  I 
take  in  your  work,  Mr.  Craig,  extends  to 
yourself. '  * 

**  No,  not  now  perhaps,  but  it  will  in  time. 
*  All  things  come  to  those  who  wait.*  " 

* '  Yes.  If  they  wait  in  the  right  spirit.  I 
am  afraid  that  you  have  not  discovered  the 
right  spirit." 

"  Well,  I  am  willing  to  seek  for  that  also." 

*  *  I  am  sorry,  but  it  is  too  late.  You  elected 
to  take  things  into  your  own  hands  to  try 


The  Powers  of  Omnium  195 

and  shape  the  course  of  events,  and  the  inevi- 
table consequences  will  inevitably  follow." 

"  I  interfered  to  preserve  the  status  quo. 
If  I  had  not,  what  would  have  been  the  re- 
sult? By  this  time  you  would  have  been  the 
Duchess  of  Buckminster,  and  probably  the 
most  wretchedly  unhappy  woman  in  the 
world,  while  I  —  well,  all  the  waiting  in  the 
world  would  not  have  helped  my  case." 

"  You  are  referring  to  a  subject  which  I 
have  repeatedly  told  you  I  could  not  discuss 
with  you.  You  recall  to  me  the  fact  that  I 
am  still  a  prisoner  here.  With  your  gracious 
permission  I  shall  retire  to  my  cell." 


CHAPTER   XV 

A   STAETLING  ENCOUNTER 

One  afternoon,  as  the  Sabine  was  slowly 
drifting  by  a  densely  wooded  gem  of  an 
island,  Alice,  who  happened  to  be  in  the  chart 
house,  expressed  a  wish  to  land  and  explore 
it.  It  was  the  first  time  since  she  had  come 
on  board  that  she  had  voluntarily  expressed 
a  desire  for  anything.  Craig,  now  as  quick 
to  please  as  he  had  at  first  been  firm  and 
uncompromising,  immediately  slowed  down 
the  yacht  and  ran  her  nose  gently  up  on  the 
beach. 

"  Suppose  we  prepare  a  lunch  and  make 
a  picnic  of  it,"  he  suggested  with  boyish 
enthusiasm,  that  seemed  to  communicate  it- 
self to  Alice. 

Hardly  waiting  for  her  assent,  he  plunged 
below,  and  soon  returned  with  rugs  and  cush- 
ions, and  a  hamper  plentifully  stored  with 
good  things.    Depositing  these  at  the  gang- 

196 


A  Startling  Encounter  197 

way,  he  next  brought  to  light  from  a  con- 
cealed pocket  in  the  deck  a  fairy  craft  as  light 
and  delicate  as  Cinderella's  crystal  slipper. 
It  was  a  canoe  made  of  a  perfectly  clear  sheet 
of  the  wondrous  substance  omnium,  and  when 
launched  it  floated  lightly  on  the  water,  like 
a  chalice  of  flashing,  glittering  crystal. 

Alice  hardly  dared  to  step  into  the  frail 
craft.  It  seemed  as  if  she  must  certainly  put 
her  foot  straight  through  the  bottom.  Craig 
laughingly  reassured  her  by  his  example,  and 
they  were  soon  embarked  and  skirting  along 
the  shore,  looking  for  a  suitable  place  to  land. 

Gazing  down  through  the  bottom  of  their 
tiny  craft,  Alice  could  see  the  fish,  frightened 
by  their  approach,  darting  away  to  places  of 
concealment  among  the  stones.  Once  her 
heart  came  into  her  mouth  as  a  big  rock 
bumped  against  the  side  of  the  canoe,  but 
the  seemingly  frail  craft  sustained  the  im- 
pact without  damage. 

Soon  a  shelving  beach  with  an  open  grove 
back  of  it  tempted  them  to  land,  and  drawing 
the  canoe  up  the  shingle,  Craig  spread  out 
the  rugs  under  the  shade  of  the  overhanging 


198  The  Dominant  Chord 

foliage  and  set  out  the  contents  of  the 
hamper  in  the  most  attractive  manner  pos- 
sible. 

*'  Now,  this  is  what  I  call  living,*'  he  an- 
nounced,  as  he  leaned  back  against  the  trunk 
of  a  huge  eucalyptus  tree,  a  puree  de  foie  gras 
sandwich  in  one  hand  and  a  huge  olive  im- 
paled on  a  spear  in  the  other. 

''  Confess  now.  Miss  Alice,  would  you  not 
rather  be  a  prisoner  on  this  gem  of  a  tropical 
island  with  even  such  a  fierce,  untamed  ogre 
as  myself  for  a  jaUer,  than  to  be  locked  up 
in  a  musty,  old  tumbled-down  castle,  where 
a  shower  bath  is  an  anachronism  and  electric 
lights  are  unknown,  and  with  his  Grace  the 
Duke  keeping  watch  and  ward  at  the  outer 
portal?  " 

"  Since  I  apparently  have  no  choice  in  the 
matter,  I  fail  to  see  of  what  use  a  confession 
would  be." 

Alice's  spirits  were  expanding  with  her 
advent  on  terra-firma,  and  she  could  not  seem 
to  muster  the  necessary  resolution  to  be  an- 
gry just  then. 

**  Confession  is  said  to  be  good  for  the 


A  Startling  Encounter  199 

soul,"  remarked  Craig  comfortably,  "  just 
as  puree  de  foie  gras  is  good  for  the 
body." 

"  When  taken  internally.  Thank  you,  I 
think  I  prefer  to  retain  my  confessions 
within,  where  they  will  do  me  the  most 
good. ' ' 

"  Silence  is  often  a  confession,"  remarked 
Craig. 

*'  Yes,  if  one  chooses  to  take  it  that  way. 
I  cannot  help  the  interpretation  you  place 
upon  my  actions." 

"  I  don't  interpret  them.  I  should  soon 
be  a  fit  subject  for  a  sanatorium  if  I  tried. 
Actions  lead  to  results;  I  am  content  to 
await  the  results." 

"  Oh,  you  are?  " 

"  Yes,  why  not?  We  are  here ;  what  could 
anyone  desire  more  than  this?  A  beautiful 
tropical  island  for  a  domain.  The  sound  of 
the  sea  to  soothe  one's  slumbers,  a  peaceful 
circumscribing  ocean  to  gaze  out  upon  and 
to  keep  visitors  off  the  front  lawn,  and 
*  Thou  beside  me  singing  in  the  wilder- 
ness.' " 


200  The  Dominant  Chord 

*'  Your  poetic  fancy  is  leading  you  astray, 
Mr.  Craig.    I  am  not  singing. ' ' 

**  Well,  you  look  as  if  you  might  on  slight 
provocation.  I  never  have  seen  you  appear 
so  thoroughly  contented  since  your  advent 
on  board  the  Sahine." 

*'  Appearances  are  often  deceptive.  For 
instance,  you  look  as  if  you  were  in  a  deeply 
contemplative  frame  of  mind,  when  I  know 
that  in  reality  you  are  merely  anxious  to 
take  a  nap." 

"  Sleep  on  a  day  like  this!  No,  perish  the 
thought.  I  am  going  to  leave  you  to  the 
contemplation  of  your  shortcomings  and  take 
a  trip  of  exploration  along  the  beach." 

**  Well,  bon  voyage!  If  you  don't  find  me 
here  when  you  come  back,  you  will  know  that 
I  have  started  on  the  return  trip  to  New 
York." 

Alice  watched  Craig's  tall,  athletic  figure 
as  it  swung  down  the  beach,  and  wondered 
at  the  change  that  had  come  over  her  feel- 
ings in  three  short  weeks.  This  man  had 
forcibly  removed  her  from  her  accustomed 
station  in  life,  and  was  still  holding  her  cap- 


A  Startling  Encounter  201 

tive  against  her  will,  yet  she  was  treating 
him  not  only  with  tolerance  but  even  with 
intimacy.  She  told  herself  that  she  was 
merely  making  the  best  of  the  situation, 
but  that  hardly  seemed  to  satisfy  the  re- 
quirements of  her  searching  self-investiga- 
tion. 

The  earliest  form  of  wooing  was  with  a 
club,  and  abduction,  in  olden  times,  was  the 
only  recognized  method  of  obtaining  a  wife. 
Alice  idly  wondered  whether  the  modern 
daughters  of  humanity  had  entirely  emanci- 
pated themselves  from  those  old,  primeval 
customs.  To  get  away  from  the  thought  she 
determined  to  make  an  exploration  for  her- 
self, and  as  Craig  had  taken  the  beach,  she 
decided  to  strike  into  the  woods  and  try  to 
cross  the  island,  which  she  knew  could  not 
be  of  any  great  extent. 

The  undergrowth  was  thicker  than  she  had 
supposed,  however,  and  after  penetrating 
some  distance  she  was  about  to  give  up  the 
attempt  when  she  suddenly  broke  through  the 
dense  leafy  screen  and  came  out  on  the  shore 
of  a  little  cove  closely  sequestered  between 


202  The  Dominant  Chord 

two  heavily  wooded  promontories,  and  al- 
most entirely  landlocked. 

Lying  quietly  in  the  centre  of  this  natural 
basin,  Alice  was  rather  startled  to  behold  a 
small,  black  schooner.  She  had  fine  and 
graceful  lines,  and  was  evidently  capable  of 
considerable  speed,  but  there  was  a  general 
air  of  carelessness  and  neglect  about  her 
which  was  at  once  apparent  to  Alice's  nau- 
tical eye,  and  which  gave  her  a  forbidding 
and  sinister  appearance.  Her  sides,  which 
had  once  been  painted  black,  were  streaked 
palewise  with  long  bands  of  rust  from  her 
channel  plates.  One  of  her  topmasts  was 
missing,  and  her  running  rigging  was  hang- 
ing loose  and  unkempt  from  her  slender, 
tapering  masts.  There  was  not  a  sign  of 
life  about  her,  but  a  small  whaleboat,  as  rusty 
and  ill-conditioned  as  the  craft  it  tended,  was 
drawn  up  on  the  beach,  showing  that  some, 
at  least,  of  the  crew  were  on  the  island. 

Alice  felt  an  instinctive  suspicion  of  the 
character  of  a  craft  that  would  be  found 
tucked  away  in  such  an  out  of  the  way  place. 
She  might  be  a  sponge  fisherman  or  a  trader 


A  Startling  Encounter  203 

among  the  islands,  but  the  trading  schooners 
were  hardly  more  than  pirates  of  a  smaller 
growth,  and  seldom  refrained  from  turning 
their  hands  to  anything  that  promised  to 
yield  a  dollar,  honest  or  otherwise. 

Alice  determined  to  quietly  retrace  her 
steps,  and  inform  Craig  of  the  presence  of 
the  stranger,  and  was  just  turning  to  carry 
out  her  intention,  when  a  shadow  fell  at  her 
feet,  and  looking  up  she  found  herself  face  to 
face  with  a  man. 


CHAPTER   XVI 

THE   BATTLE   ON   THE   BEACH 

The  stranger  was  carefully  dressed  in  a 
suit  of  blue  yachting  cloth;  a  broad  felt 
sombrero  was  perched  picturesquely  on  his 
jet  black  hair,  and  through  a  brilliant  red 
sash  about  his  waist  was  thrust  a  long  sti- 
letto in  a  sheath  of  lizard's  skin.  The  face 
was  singularly  handsome,  and  at  the  same 
time  singularly  sinister,  dark,  oval  and  clear 
cut,  with  deep-set,  brilliant  eyes  and  a  small, 
jet-black  moustache,  which  pointed  straight 
out  and  revealed  rather  than  concealed  two 
rows  of  gleaming  white  teeth.  The  soft, 
white  shirt  which  he  wore  was  scrupulously 
clean  and  was  rolled  away  from  the  throat, 
exposing  the  smooth  olive  skin.  The  whole 
appearance  of  the  man  was  of  a  nature  one 
would  hardly  expect  to  find  among  the  crew 
of  such  a  disreputable  looking  craft. 

Alice  had  difficulty  in  suppressing  a 
204 


The  Battle  on  the  Beach  205 

scream  at  the  suddenness  of  this  apparition. 
The  stranger  stood  smiling  quietly,  but  made 
no  attempt  to  address  her.  Although  his 
eyes  were  bent  on  her,  his  head  was  turned 
slightly  aside,  as  though  he  was  listening  for 
something.  Alice  dropped  her  eyes  and 
made  a  movement  to  pass  him,  but  the 
stranger  stretched  out  a  detaining  hand. 

*'  Don't  go,"  he  said,  in  excellent  English, 
showing  his  teeth  in  an  evil  smile. 

*'  Pardon,"  said  Alice  hurriedly,  "  but  I 
must  rejoin  my  party." 

*'  Don't  go,"  he  repeated. 

Alice  fell  back  a  step.  Her  heart  was 
beating  rapidly,  but  she  managed  outwardly 
to  retain  her  composure. 

At  this  moment  three  men  broke  through 
the  undergrowth  and  came  out  on  the  shore 
of  the  cove.  Two  of  them  were  small,  under- 
sized men  of  nondescript  appearance,  evi- 
dently Cubans  or  low-class  Spaniards,  of  the 
riffraff  which  one  meets  along  the  beaches 
of  the  Windward  Islands.  The  third  was  a 
burly,  black  Jamaica  negro;  the  coarse,  flat 
features,  the  thick  lips,  and  the  brilliant  red 


206  The  Dominant  Chord 

handkerchief  bound  around  his  head,  con- 
tributing their  part  to  a  singularly  brutal 
and  repulsive  entirety.  All  three  carried 
long,  murderous  looking  knives  in  their 
belts,  and  taken  altogether  they  were  about 
as  villainous  a  looking  set  of  ruffians  as  one 
would  want  to  meet  in  an  out  of  the  way 
place. 

Alice,  now  thoroughly  alarmed,  attempted 
to  pass  by  the  group,  but  the  first  comer, 
who  seemed  to  exercise  some  authority  over 
the  others,  suddenly  reached  out  and  seized 
her  by  the  wrist. 

**  Here,  none  of  that,'*  he  cried  roughly, 
'*  you  come  with  me." 

Alice  screamed  as  she  felt  his  hand  upon 
her,  and  tried  to  wrench  herself  free,  but 
the  effort  was  unavailing,  and  one  of  the 
other  men  seizing  her  free  arm,  she  was 
rapidly  dragged  down  to  the  shore. 

**  Hurry  up,  boys,  and  get  this  baggage 
into  the  boat,  and  we  will  come  back  for  the 
captain." 

Alice's  heart  sank  as  she  realized  the  use- 
lessness  of  the  struggle,  but  her  cry  had 


The  Battle  on  the  Beach  207 

- 

evidently  reached  the  ear  of  someone,  for 
rapid  steps  were  heard  coming  along  the 
beach,  and  in  another  moment  Craig  broke 
through  the  bushes  and  appeared  on  the  top 
of  the  bank.  His  eye  took  in  the  situation 
at  a  glance,  and  like  a  raging  berserker  he 
charged  down  the  slope  into  the  group.  The 
big  negro  turned  to  intercept  him,  but,  duck- 
ing under  the  blow  that  was  aimed  at  him, 
Craig  landed  his  fist  full  on  the  point  of  the 
jaw.  The  black  went  down  as  if  struck  by 
a  steam  hammer  and  lay  where  he  fell.  The 
two  Cubans  had  hardly  time  to  turn  to  meet 
the  onslaught  when  Craig  was  upon  them. 
Seizing  the  nearest  around  the  body,  with  a 
supreme  effort  of  strength  he  lifted  him 
from  the  ground  and  dashed  him  upon  his 
companion,  who  was  just  drawing  his  knife. 
The  two  men  went  down  in  a  heap,  but  as 
Craig  turned  to  face  his  last  antagonist  he 
tripped  over  a  piece  of  driftwood  and  fell 
on  top  of  the  pile.  Instantly  the  beach  was 
a  kaleidoscope  of  Qjing  arms  and  writhing 
bodies. 

Alice  gave  a  scream  as  Craig  went  down, 


208  The  Dominant  Chord 

and  then  watched  the  struggle,  wide-eyed 
but  silent. 

The  breathing  of  the  combatants  came 
heavily  but  in  gasps,  as  they  struggled  to 
turn  each  other  under.  The  Cubans  had  lost 
their  knives  in  the  melee,  and  as  Craig  was 
unarmed  the  struggle  was  purely  one  of 
brute  force. 

In  spite  of  the  odds  it  seemed  as  if  the 
engineer  would  get  the  better  of  the  en- 
counter. His  antagonists  were  both  small 
men,  and  singly  would  have  been  no  match 
for  him,  but  the  negro  was  beginning  to 
show  signs  of  consciousness,  and  Alice  felt 
that  she  must  do  something.  The  fighting 
instinct  of  her  forefathers  was  rising  within 
her.  The  look  of  terror  in  her  eyes  was 
rapidly  giving  place  to  the  light  of  battle. 
The  Spaniard,  with  one  hand  grasping  her 
wrist,  was  carelessly  twirling  his  moustache 
and  calmly  awaiting  the  outcome  of  the 
struggle.  Suddenly,  as  the  negro  was  rais- 
ing his  head  from  the  sand,  Alice  turned 
and  sank  her  sharp,  white  teeth  into  the 
flesh  of  the  Spaniard's  forearm.    With  an 


The  Battle  on  the  Beach  209 

oath  he  released  his  hold  on  her  wrist,  and 
swinging  his  arm  around  in  a  back-hand 
blow,  struck  her  full  on  the  forehead,  stag- 
gering her  and  bringing  her  to  her  knees. 

*'  Take  that,  you  she  devil!  "  he  cried, 
with  a  string  of  blood-curdling  profanity, 
and  drawing  his  knife  he  sprang  toward  the 
heap  of  struggling  men. 

Alice  felt  faint  and  dizzy,  but  her  spirit 
was  not  subdued.  Seizing  a  heavy  billet  of 
driftwood  she  staggered  to  her  feet  pre- 
pared to  renew  the  fight.  The  Spaniard  was 
circling  around  the  struggling  mass,  watch- 
ing for  a  chance  to  use  his  knife.  Once  more 
Craig,  by  a  supreme  effort,  succeeded  in 
turning  both  his  assailants  under  him,  and 
the  Spaniard  drew  back  his  arm  to  thrust 
the  knife  in  his  unprotected  back,  when  the 
billet  of  driftwood,  swung  with  all  the  power 
at  Alice's  command,  struck  him  just  above 
the  elbow,  paralyzing  his  arm  and  sending 
the  knife  flying  from  his  grasp.  At  the  same 
moment  a  shove  precipitated  him  on  top  of 
the  panting,  struggling  mass.  The  new  ar- 
rival was  promptly  sucked  into  the  whirl- 


210  The  Dominant  Chord 

pool  of  the  fight,  for  the  Cubans  had  by  this 
time  lost  their  heads,  and  were  fighting  aim- 
lessly. In  the  tangle  of  arms  and  bodies 
recognition  was  impossible;  every  man  was 
fighting  for  himself. 

Alice  hung  over  the  pile  watching  for  a 
chance  to  use  her  club  again,  but  the  rapid 
contortions  of  the  combatants  gave  her  scant 
opportunity. 

At  last  it  seemed  as  if  the  fortunes  of  the 
struggle  would  rest  with  Craig,  for  he  had 
got  the  Spaniard  by  the  throat  and  was 
bending  him  back  across  the  bodies  of  the 
other  two,  when  Alice  suddenly  felt  herself 
thrust  to  one  side  and  a  burly  form  inter- 
posed between  her  and  the  heap  of  strug- 
gling men.  Just  as  Craig  was  forcing  the 
Spaniard's  head  back  into  the  sand,  the  butt 
of  a  heavy  revolver  descended  with  crushing 
force  on  his  unprotected  head,  and  without 
a  sound  he  sank  forward  unconscious. 


CHAPTER   XVn 

PEISOITEES 

The  individual  whose  intervention  had 
produced  such  decisive  results  was  a  tre- 
mendous figure,  standing  over  six  feet,  three 
inches  in  his  boots.  His  massive  propor- 
tions dwarfed  into  insignificance  even  the 
burly  form  of  the  negro.  With  hands  thrust 
deep  into  the  pockets  of  a  worn  and  rusty 
reefing  jacket,  and  little  twinkling  eyes  that 
looked  out  from  a  rugged  weather-beaten 
face,  he  surveyed  the  scene. 

**  Well,  you're  a  pretty  lookin'  lot  of 
beach  combers,  you  be,"  he  remarked  sar- 
castically, at  the  same  time  ejecting  about 
a  gill  of  tobacco  juice  from  his  mouth,  and 
wiping  off  the  residue,  which  ran  down  the 
rusty  stubble  of  his  beard,  with  the  back  of 
his  hand.  *^  Looks  like  I'd  have  to  get  a 
wet  nurse  for  some  of  yer.  You  sure  be  a 
rum-lookin'  bunch.     Come,  Jupe,"  address- 

211 


212  The  Dominant  Chord 

ing  the  negro,  who  was  sitting  up  looking  at 
the  scene  in  a  dazed  and  stupid  manner, 
''  get  a  bucket  of  sea  water  and  let's  see 
if  there's  any  life  in  this  rooster;  he  seems 
to  be  some  tough." 

A  heavy  kick  in  the  small  of  the  back  from 
the  stout  sea  boots  he  wore  emphasized  the 
command,  and  at  once  galvanized  the  negro 
into  activity.  Going  to  the  whaleboat  he  got 
out  a  bucket  and  dashed  some  salt  water  on 
Craig's  bruised  and  bleeding  head. 

The  Spaniard  had  meanwhile  arisen  and 
was  carefully  flicking  the  sand  from  his 
clothing,  at  the  same  time  regarding  his 
prostrate  adversary  with  an  evil  smile. 
Several  dark  blotches  on  either  side  of  his 
windpipe  testified  to  the  power  of  the  grip 
which  Craig  had  fastened  upon  his  throat. 

The  two  Cubans,  bruised  and  battered, 
had  also  gained  their  feet  and  were  cursing 
volubly  as  they  took  account  of  their  in- 
juries. 

Alice,  overwhelmed  at  the  sudden  turn  of 
affairs,  had  sunk  down  on  the  sand,  incapa- 
ble of  further  effort. 


Prisoners  213 

**  Well,  where  did  yer  find  this  bunch  of 
trouble,  Manuel?  "  inquired  the  captain,  for 
the  big  man  was  evidently  the  leader  of  the 
party. 

*'  Didn't  find  them,"  replied  Manuel  sul- 
lenly, *'  they  found  us." 

**  Have  yer  seen  their  boat?  " 

**  Yes,  she  is  over  on  the  other  side  of  the 
island,  with  her  bows  half  out  of  water. 
Must  have  run  on  the  beach  in  the  night. 
They'll  have  a  nice  time  getting  her  off." 

"  Yes,  I  know;   I  seen  her  myself." 

"  See  any  signs  of  life  about  her?  " 

**  No,  they  must  all  be  asleep." 

*'  She  would  make  pretty  nice  picking.  If 
we  could  get  aboard  without  being  heard  we 
might  take  her." 

**  Manuel,  you're  a  fool!  Do  yer  want  to 
get  your  bloomin'  block  knocked  off?  There 
must  be  a  dozen  hands  aboard  that  packet, 
and  if  they're  all  like  this  cock  of  the  walk 
here,  what  chance  would  yer  have?  No,  no, 
that  ain't  our  lay.  They're  high  and  dry 
and  the  tide's  goin'  out.  They  won't  be  able 
to    git   her    off    before    midnight    anyway. 


214  The  Dominant  Chord 

Meanwhile  we'll  take  yer  friends  here 
aboard  the  Pretty  Polly,  and  be  gettin'  an 
offin'.  If  we  once  get  our  masthead  below 
the  sky  line,  I'll  stump  the  devU  himself  to 
find  us  among  the  islands.  This  'ere  is  a 
real  lady.  I  can  tell  by  her  looks,  and  them 
swell  guys  will  loosen  up  big  on  their  wads 
to  get  her  back  right  side  up  with  care." 

While  this  dialogue  was  going  on,  the 
negro  was  assiduously  searching  Craig's 
pockets,  bringing  to  light  a  bunch  of  keys, 
a  penknife,  some  odds  and  ends,  and  a  round 
metal  box  about  the  size  of  a  pocket  com- 
pass. These  the  captain  took  charge  of, 
thrusting  them  into  the  capacious  pockets  of 
his  reefer. 

The  still  unconscious  form  of  Craig  was 
bundled  unceremoniously  into  the  whaleboat. 
The  Cubans  took  the  oars.  The  Spaniard 
assumed  his  place  at  the  steering  oar  in  the 
stern,  while  the  negro  stood  by  the  bows 
ready  to  shove  off.  When  these  prepara- 
tions had  been  completed,  the  captain  ap- 
proached the  place  where  Alice  was  crouch- 
ing on  the  sand. 


Prisoners  215 

**  Well,  young  lady,"  he  announced,  ex- 
posing his  long  yellow  teeth  with  an  evil 
leer,  which  was  meant  to  be  a  smile  of  en- 
couragement, ''  can  we  persuade  yer  to 
take  a  short  cruise  with  us  on  the  Pretty 
Polly?  Your  own  boat  seems  to  be  out  of 
the  runnin'  at  present.  We're  a  rough 
crowd,  but  we's  not  so  bad  as  we  look.  I'm 
Cap'n  Smith,  Cap'n  William  Smith,  better 
known  as  Bad  Bill,  but  that's  only  for  the 
beach  combers.  I'm  always  nice  to  the 
ladies,  and  they's  always  nice  to  me.  Let 
me  help  yer  into  the  boat." 

He  stretched  out  his  hand  to  draw  her  to 
her  feet  with  another  significant  leer,  but 
Alice  sprang  up  without  assistance.  If  he 
expected  resistance  he  was  disappointed,  for, 
transfixing  him  with  a  look  of  unutterable 
repugnance,  she  went  swiftly  to  the  boat, 
and  taking  her  place  in  the  stern  sheets, 
drew  Craig's  damaged  head  into  her  lap  and 
began  to  bathe  it  with  water,  which  she 
dipped  up  from  over  the  side  with  her  hand- 
kerchief. 

The   distance    to    the    Pretty   Polly   was 


216  The  Dominant  Chord 

quickly  covered,  and  as  soon  as  the  party- 
gained  her  deck,  preparations  were  hur- 
riedly made  for  getting  under-way.  The 
whaleboat  was  paid  out  astern,  the  mainsail 
set,  and  the  anchor  broken  loose  from  the 
bottom,  and  as  soon  as  her  bows  had  fallen 
off,  the  jib  was  run  up,  and  the  Pretty  Polly 
began  to  reach  slowly  out  of  the  cove. 

Alice  had  been  led  below  into  the  dirty 
and  ill-smelling  cabin  and  thrust  into  one  of 
the  small  staterooms  that  opened  into  it. 
Her  protest  at  being  separated  from  Craig 
had  been  ignored,  and  the  last  she  had  seen 
of  him  he  was  being  carried  down  the  hatch- 
way into  the  hold.  As  the  Pretty  Polly 
worked  out  into  the  open  sea,  she  began  to 
pitch  and  roll  considerably.  The  motion, 
after  the  smooth  and  swallow-like  skimming 
of  the  Sabine,  was  decidedly  unpleasant. 
Locked  into  the  small  and  stuffy  stateroom, 
with  no  help  from  the  outside  possible,  the 
situation  looked  dark  and  gloomy,  but  Alice 
reflected  that  these  men  were  ordinary  ruf- 
fians whose  God  was  money.  Here,  at  least, 
her  wealth  would  be  able  to  buy  her  freedom 


Prisoners  217 

and  immunity.  She  decided  that  as  soon  as 
she  could  have  an  interview  with  the  captain 
she  would  offer  him  ten  thousand  dollars  to 
land  Craig  and  herself  at  the  nearest  port, 
and  she  smiled  to  herself  at  the  thought  of 
being  able  to  turn  the  tables  on  her  original 
captor  so  neatly. 


CHAPTER  XVin 

THE  FATE  OF  THE  PBETTY  POLLY 

**  I  SAY  the  girl  is  mine!  '* 

Alice  awoke  with  a  start.  Exhausted  by 
the  excitement  of  the  day,  she  had  dropped 
asleep  sitting  on  the  edge  of  the  berth.  It 
was  pitch  dark,  but  little  lines  of  light 
showed  through  the  cracks  in  the  sheathing 
from  the  cabin  beyond. 

Alice  rose  and  stole  softly  to  the  partition. 
By  placing  her  eye  close  to  the  largest  of 
the  cracks,  she  was  able  to  command  a  very 
good  view  of  the  cabin. 

An  oil  lamp  was  swinging  from  a  bracket 
overhead,  and  seated  at  the  table  were  the 
captain  and  the  Spaniard  called  Manuel.  A 
greasy  pack  of  cards  was  scattered  over  the 
board,  and  a  big  black  bottle  stood  between 
them. 

'*  I  say  the  girl  is  mine,"  repeated  the 
Spaniard,  bringing  his  fist  down  on  the  table 
angrily. 

318 


The  Fate  of  the  Pretty  Polly       219 

The  captain  helped  himself  to  a  stiff  glass 
of  rum  from  the  bottle,  and  regarded  his 
companion  with  a  drmiken  grin.  ''  So  you 
was  a-sayin'  before,"  he  observed  sagely. 

"  She  is  my  prisoner.  I  found  her,"  con- 
tended the  Spaniard,  falling  back  on  argu- 
ment, after  the  manner  of  the  man  who  finds 
that  vehemence  is  not  producing  the  desired 
result.  ' '  You  know  the  law.  We  will  divide 
the  ransom,  but  while  she  is  here  the  girl  is 
mine.'* 

**  There  ain't  no  law  aboard  this  craft  but 
my  law,  Manuel.  Don 't  yer  make  no  mistake 
about  that." 

The  Spaniard  glared  across  the  table  at 
his  impassive  companion.  His  hand  started 
to  make  a  movement  towards  his  belt.  It 
seemed  as  if  he  was  about  to  draw  a  knife, 
but  he  evidently  reconsidered  his  purpose, 
for  he  gathered  up  the  pack  of  cards  and 
shuffled  them  fiercely. 

*'  That's  right,  Manuel,  deal  'em  out,  deal 
'em  out,  my  son.  It's  a  jack  pot  this  time. 
Come  up  with  your  ante." 

The  captain  poured  out  another  stiff  glass 


220  The  Dominant  Chord 

of  rum  and  passed  the  bottle  across  the 
table,  and  the  angry  voices  sank  to  an  occa- 
sional growl,  intermingled  with  the  shuffle 
of  cards  and  the  click  of  chips. 

Alice  felt  the  blood  chill  in  her  veins  at  the 
thought  of  being  in  the  power  of  such  brutes. 
Fate  had  pounced  upon  her  and  torn  her 
ruthlessly  from  a  position  of  growing  secur- 
ity, only  to  cast  her  pitilessly  upon  the  waves 
of  chance.  She  sat  down  again  weakly  on 
the  edge  of  the  berth,  picking  nervously  at 
the  hem  of  her  sMrt,  and  listening  to  the 
ominous  sounds  that  came  from  beyond  the 
partition. 

As  she  sat  there  shivering  in  the  darkness, 
a  peculiar  scratching  sound  attracted  her 
attention.  She  listened  attentively.  It 
seemed  to  come  from  the  other  side  of  the 
bulkhead  near  the  foot  of  the  berth.  Rising 
to  her  feet  she  quickly  traced  the  sound  to 
its  source.  Someone  was  tapping  gently  on 
the  other  side  of  the  partition.  As  she 
dropped  to  her  knees  to  accurately  locate  the 
sound,  a  sibilant  whisper  came  through  a 
crack  in  the  sheathing. 


The  Fate  of  the  Pretty  Polly       221 

* '  Alice !  Miss  Huntington !  Are  you 
there!  " 

It  was  Craig's  voice,  and  even  amid 
the  darkness  and  despair  it  thrilled  her 
strangely. 

**  Yes,  I  am  here,''  she  whispered  hack. 
"  Are  you  badly  hurt?  " 

''  No,  I  think  not.  My  head  feels  like  a 
balloon,  but  I  guess  it  will  come  around  all 
right.    Where  are  we?  " 

**  We  are  on  the  schooner.  They  have  left 
the  island  and  put  out  to  sea." 

**  The  devil!  I  beg  your  pardon.  What 
time  is  it?  " 

"  I  do  not  know.  It  must  be  about  mid- 
night, I  should  think." 

*  *  Do  you  know  what  course  they  are  steer- 
ing? " 

**  No.  They  must  be  before  the  wind, 
though.  The  schooner  has  been  running  on 
an  even  keel." 

"  That  would  bring  us  about  southwest, 
if  the  trades  are  holding.  Did  you  see  them 
when  they  went  through  my  pockets?  " 

"Yes." 


The  Dominant  Chord 


''Who  got  the  booty!  " 

*'  The  captain." 

"  Did  you  notice  them  take  a  little  bronze 
box?  " 

**  Yes.  He  has  it  in  the  pocket  of  his 
reefer." 

**  That  is  the  Sabine's  remote  control  box. 
Our  only  chance  is  to  get  hold  of  it.  Will 
you  ever  forgive  me  for  getting  you  into 
such  a  mess?  " 

**  Sh!  Don't  talk  of  that  now.  Let  us 
consider  how  we  are  going  to  get  out  of  it." 

"  AHce." 

*'  What?  " 

'*  If  anything  happens  to  me  always  re- 
member that  —  that  I  loved  you." 

The  sound  of  renewed  quarrelling  in  the 
outer  cabin  broke  in  upon  the  reply. 

Alice  flew  to  the  partition  and  glued  her 
eye  to  the  crack.  The  two  men  were  still 
sitting  at  the  table.  The  captain  seemed  to 
be  considerably  the  worse  from  the  effects 
of  the  copious  libations  he  had  absorbed 
from  the  bottle. 

The  Spaniard  was  flushed  and  angry,  but 


The  Fate  of  the  Pretty  Polly       223 

perfectly  sober.  The  argument  had  evi- 
dently swung  around  to  the  original  cause 
of  dispute,  and  was  being  carried  on  with 
increasing  vehemence  on  the  one  side  and 
drunken  obstinacy  on  the  other. 

Manuel  had  just  dashed  his  cards  down 
on  the  table,  and  his  angry  voice,  vibrant 
with  fierce  intensity,  was  still  ringing  in  the 
air. 

"  I  say  the  girl  is  mine,  and  I  will  have 
her.  I'll  have  her  in  spite  of  all  the  fiends 
out  of  hell." 

The  captain  leaned  back  in  his  chair  with 
the  evil,  maudlin  leer  still  on  his  face.  Then 
he  suddenly  leaned  forward,  and  with  a 
quickness  of  movement  astonishing  in  one 
in  his  condition,  whipped  out  a  heavy  re- 
volver from  the  pocket  of  his  coat  and 
shoved  the  cold  muzzle  full  in  the  face  of  the 
excited  Spaniard. 

"  Shay  it  again,"  he  grinned  sardonically. 
**  Shay  it  again,  my  son.  I  don't  hear  so 
well." 

Manuel  sank  back  in  his  chair  like  a  leop- 
ard cowed  in  the  act  of  springing. 


224  The  Dominant  Chord 

The  captain  laughed  tauntingly  and  spun 
the  weapon  around  his  finger  by  the  trigger 
guard.  *'  What's  the  matter,  Manuel! 
What's  the  matter,  my  boy?  Yer  don't 
seem  to  be  so  ardent  as  you  was.  No  thin' 
like  cold  lead  to  cool  them  unruly  passions. 
*  None  but  the  brave  deserves  the  fair,'  and 
you  always  was  a  yellow-livered  cuss." 

The  Spaniard's  face  flushed  darkly  at  the 
insult,  but  under  the  menace  of  the  pistol 
he  controlled  his  rage,  only  muttering, — 
**  The  girl  belongs  to  me  by  right,  and  you 
know  it;  that  is  the  law." 

**  The  law  I  "  The  captain's  laugh  rang 
out  loud  and  uproariously.  '*  All  the  law 
there  is  on  this  packet  lies  right  in  this  little 
pill  box,  Manuel,  and  don't  you  forgit  it.  I 
can  pick  out  your  teeth  with  it,  one  at  a  time, 
across  the  cabin,  and  you  know  it.  If  I 
couldn't  I  wouldn't  be  cap'n  of  the  Pretty 
Polly  ten  minutes." 

The  captain  shoved  the  revolver  back  into 
his  pocket,  and  helped  himself  generously 
from  the  bottle.  He  was  well  in  his  cups  by 
this  time  and  growing  garrulous. 


The  Fate  of  the  Pretty  Polly       225 

The  Spaniard  watched  him  with  smoulder- 
ing eyes,  in  whose  depths  lurked  murder. 

Pushing  the  bottle  across  the  table,  the 
captain  leaned  back  in  his  chair,  and,  hook- 
ing his  thumbs  into  the  armholes  of  his  waist- 
coat, smiled  a  benign  and  bibulous  smile  at 
his  first  officer. 

*'  Cheer  up,  Manuel,''  he  grinned.  **  Don't 
show  so  down-hearted.  Drown  your  sor- 
rows for  the  loss  of  the  lady  in  the  flowin' 
bowl.  As  the  poet  says,  *  She  is  destined  for 
a  better  man.'  If  I  feel  like  takin'  a  partner 
in  my  joys  and  sorrows,  who's  a-goin'  to  pre- 
vent me?  If  I  find  it  cold  and  lonely  in  this 
state  of  single  blessedness,  if  I  want  a  wife 
to  comfort  and  sympathize  with  me,  who's 
a-goin'  to  say  no,  —  who's  a-goin'  to  say  no 
to  Cap'n  Bill?  Look  nice  in  the  society 
papers,  wouldn't  it,  Manuel?  *  Married. 
Captain  William  Smith,  Esquire,  to  the 
daughter  of  his  Royal  Dukelets.  The  happy 
pair  is  spendin'  their  honeymoon  on  the 
bridegroom's  yacht,  the  Pretty  Polly;  pres- 
ent whereabouts  unknown.'  Look  fine, 
wouldn't  it,  Manuel?     Cheer  up,  my  boy! 


226  The  Dominant  Chord 

Make  you  besht  man.  Nothin'  small  'bout 
Cap'n  Bill.  Make  you  besht  man,  or  minis- 
ter, either.  Take  your  choice.  Nothin '  small 
'bout  Cap'n  Bill  Smith.  You'd  make  a  fine 
parson,  Manuel,  with  that  sanctimonious 
face  of  yours.  Must  have  one  little,  sweet 
kiss  from  the  bride  to  be,  Man.,  just  one 
little  kiss  before  we  turn  in." 

He  lurched  drunkenly  to  his  feet  and  stag- 
gered across  the  cabin.  The  stateroom  door 
was  jerked  open  roughly,  revealing  Alice 
white  and  rigid  upon  the  threshold.  In  an 
instant,  in  spite  of  her  struggles,  she  was 
drawn  into  his  arms.  She  saw  his  coarse, 
bloated  face  bending  over  her  and  felt  his 
hot,  impregnated  breath  upon  her  cheek,  and 
then  —  the  Spaniard  slipped  around  the 
table  like  a  cat.  For  an  instant  Alice  saw 
his  face  over  the  captain's  shoulder,  then 
something  flashed  in  the  lamplight.  The 
captain  grunted  heavily,  and  his  muscles 
relaxed.  A  tremor  shot  through  his  power- 
ful frame.  Releasing  her,  he  stumbled  across 
the  cabin  and  sank  weakly  into  a  chair.  The 
Spaniard  had  regained  his  place  behind  the 


The  Fate  of  the  Pretty  Polly       227 

table,  and  was  coolly  wiping  his  knife  upon 
the  sleeve  of  his  coat. 

"■  That  was  a  dirty  trick,  Mannel,  a  dirty 
Dago  trick.  I'll  fix  you  when  I  get  on  my 
feet,  you  son  of  a  gun;  111  fix  you  good  and 
plenty." 

A  violent  fit  of  coughing  interrupted  his 
tirade,  and  a  thin  stream  of  blood  trickled 
from  his  lips  and  ran  down  his  beard.  The 
captain  was  fumbling  clumsily  in  his  pocket 
for  the  revolver,  but  Manuel  held  it  up  to 
the  light  with  a  sardonic  smile,  and  then 
thrust  it  carefully  into  the  sash  about  his 
waist. 

Alice  gazed  upon  the  scene  stunned  and 
horrified.  Deeds  of  violence  had  meant  to 
her  hardly  more  than  sensational  headlines 
in  the  newspapers.  She  scarcely  compre- 
hended what  had  happened. 

The  captain's  head  had  dropped  forward 
and  was  rolling  from  side  to  side.  His  eyes 
were  glazing  and  the  breath  was  coming  in 
whistling  gasps  from  his  throat.  Summon- 
ing the  remnant  of  his  vitality,  he  leaned 
forward  and  attempted  to  struggle  to  his 


228  The  Dominant  Chord 

feet,  but  his  strength  was  unequal  to  the 
task.  In  making  the  attempt  he  lost  his  bal- 
ance, and  pitching  forward,  fell  on  his  face 
on  the  cabin  floor. 

**  Oh,  ohi  '*  cried  Alice,  wringing  her 
hands, ''  can  nothing  be  done  for  him?  Can't 
you  help  him?  " 

The  Spaniard  shrugged  his  shoulders  as 
she  dropped  on  her  knees  beside  the 
wounded  man  and  tried  to  turn  him  over. 
Then  he  went  to  the  companionway  and 
spoke  to  the  man  at  the  wheel. 

As  Alice  touched  the  body  of  the  captain, 
she  felt  a  convulsive  shudder  run  through 
it,  a  whistling  exhalation  of  breath  swept 
past  her  like  the  rush  of  a  spirit,  and  she 
felt  the  mortal  clay  grow  rigid  under  her 
hand. 

In  the  midst  of  his  violence,  and  without 
one  moment  of  warning  or  preparation,  Cap- 
tain Smith  had  gone  to  face  his  last  account- 
ing. 

In  the  shock  of  the  knowledge,  in  the  hor- 
ror and  revulsion  of  feeling,  Alice's  pres- 
ence of  mind  did  not  entirely  desert  her. 


The  Fate  of  the  Pretty  Polly       229 

The  Spaniard's  back  was  turned  toward  her 
as  he  stood  looking  up  the  companionway. 
Setting  her  teeth  and  nerving  herself  for  the 
repugnant  task,  she  thrust  her  hand  hur- 
riedly into  the  pocket  of  the  Captain's 
reefer.  Her  heart  gave  a  quick  throb  as  she 
felt  her  fingers  touch  the  little  bronze  con- 
trol box.  Drawing  it  forth  she  thrust  it  hur- 
riedly into  her  bosom.  When  the  Spaniard 
turned,  she  was  closing  the  staring  eyes  of 
the  dead  man,  outwardly  as  calm  as  a  hos- 
pital nurse. 

Steps  were  soon  heard  in  the  companion- 
way,  and  the  two  Cubans  entered  the  cabin. 
Manuel  spoke  to  them  in  Spanish  dialect  and 
pointed  to  the  body.  The  men  listened 
stolidly  without  visible  emotion.  Evidently 
Captain  Smith  had  not  been  the  idol  of  his 
crew. 

When  Manuel  had  finished  his  harangue, 
the  two  men  picked  up  the  body  by  the  legs 
and  shoulders  and  dragged  it  up  the  com- 
panionway. A  moment  later  a  heavy  splash 
alongside  indicated  with  what  pomp  and 
ceremony  the   remains   of  their  late   com- 


230  The  Dominant  Chord 

mander  had  been  consigned  to  their  last 
resting  place. 

When  the  men  had  disappeared  the  Span- 
iard turned  to  Alice  with  his  sinister  smile 
and  said,  **  If  the  Senorita  will  return  to  her 
cabin,  we  will  consider  her  case  and  advise 
her  of  our  intentions  in  the  morning." 

"  But  you  will  let  me  have  a  light," 
pleaded  Alice;  "you  surely  do  not  intend 
to  keep  me  in  that  black  hole  without  even 
a  candle?  " 

The  Spaniard  laughed  shortly.  **  You 
may  take  the  cabin  lamp  if  you  wish.  I  shall 
be  on  deck." 

Alice  thankfully  took  the  light  and  re- 
turned to  her  stateroom. 

Craig  was  on  the  other  side  of  the  parti- 
tion, torn  and  rent  with  anxiety  to  know 
what  had  happened.  The  sounds  of  the  dis- 
pute had  come  muffled  and  indistinct  to  him, 
so  that  he  had  only  the  faintest  idea  of  what 
was  transpiring.  In  a  few  moments  Alice 
had  acquainted  him  with  what  had  taken 
place  and  her  success  in  recovering  the  con- 
trol box. 


The  Fate  of  the  Pretty  Polly       231 

It  was  now  necessary  to  release  Craig  and 
get  the  box  into  his  possession.  With  the 
aid  of  the  lamp  Alice  looked  around  her 
quarters,  and  perceiving  a  small  chest  among 
the  heterogeneous  litter  under  the  berth,  she 
pulled  it  out  into  the  room.  It  proved  to 
contain  a  miscellaneous  collection  of  nails, 
bits  of  iron  and  broken  tools.  Among  them 
was  an  old  rusty  bit  and  a  bit-stock.  As  this 
seemed  to  be  the  only  cutting  tool  which  an 
exhaustive  search  revealed,  she  pulled  the 
chest  over  in  one  comer,  where,  if  need  be, 
it  could  conceal  her  work,  and  attacked  the 
bulkhead  energetically.  The  wood  was 
tough  and  well  seasoned,  and  the  tool  was 
dull,  and  the  cramped  position  she  was 
forced  to  assume  made  her  muscles  ache, 
but  at  the  end  of  an  hour  she  had  succeeded 
in  getting  eight  holes  through  the  partition 
in  a  small  circle,  and  Craig  had  been  able 
to  break  out  the  enclosed  space.  She  could 
now  pass  the  bit-stock  and  the  control  box 
through  the  opening. 

The  transfer  had  hardly  been  accom- 
plished, and  the  two  were  about  to  concoct 


232  The  Dominant  Chord 

a  definite  plan  of  action  when  steps  were 
heard  in  the  companionway.  Hastily  push- 
ing the  chest  in  front  of  the  opening,  Alice 
seated  herself  on  the  edge  of  the  berth 
and  endeavoured  to  compose  her  counte- 
nance. 

In  another  moment,  without  the  ceremony 
of  announcing  himself,  the  door  was  thrown 
open  and  Manuel  appeared  on  the  threshold. 
His  self-acquired  authority  evidently  in- 
duced a  feeling  of  profound  satisfaction, 
for  his  shoulders  were  thrown  back  more 
than  usual,  and  his  thin  lips  were  wreathed 
in  a  quiet,  satisfied  smile.  The  captain's 
revolver,  the  insignia  and  bulwark  of  his 
authority,  reposed  in  a  leather  holster  belted 
around  his  waist,  while  the  murderous  sti- 
letto, which  had  effected  a  change  of  dynasty 
on  board  the  Pretty  Polly,  was  thrust 
through  a  crimson  sash  which  he  wore. 
Without  hesitation  or  parley  he  stated  his 
business. 

**  The  Senorita  will  come  on  deck.  I  wish 
to  speak  with  her." 

**  In  just  a  moment,'*  responded  Alice, 


The  Fate  of  the  Pretty  Polly       233 

rising  with  alacrity.  ''  Allow  me  to  arrange 
my  attire,  please." 

She  hoped  he  would  withdraw  long  enough 
to  allow  her  a  word  with  Craig,  but  the 
Spaniard's  accession  to  authority  was  too 
recent  to  permit  him  to  brook  any  delay  in 
obeying  his  commands. 

''  The  Senorita  looks  very  charming  as 
she  is.    She  will  come  at  once." 

Seeing  that  resistance  was  useless,  Alice 
gathered  her  wraps  about  her  and  ascended 
to  the  deck. 

Craig  heard  her  retreating  footsteps  with 
something  akin  to  despair.  He  was  face  to 
face  with  the  most  intricate  problem  of  his 
career.  True,  he  had  again  in  his  possession 
the  controlling  mechanism  which  governed 
the  Sabine's  movements.  The  box  was,  in 
reality,  nothing  but  a  small  switch  and  rheo- 
stat which  received  and  transmitted  current 
through  terminals  of  omnium  to  the  segment 
and  two  metal  balls  on  the  controller  ped- 
estal on  board  the  Sabine.  By  means  of 
this  little  instrument,  he  could  set  in  motion 
the   electric  waves   which  would   start  her 


234  The  Dominant  Chord 

motors  and  control  her  steering  apparatus, 
but,  shut  up  in  the  dark  hold  of  a  schooner, 
without  means  of  knowing  what  was  going 
on  outside,  even  if  he  could  bring  the  Sabine 
in  sight,  he  could  not  intelligently  direct  her 
movements. 

He  wished  that  he  had  had  time  to  ar- 
range a  set  of  signals  with  Alice,  perhaps 
that  might  still  be  possible,  but  in  the  mean- 
time he  must  make  the  attempt  to  solve  the 
problem  alone.  If  he  could  calculate  the 
course  and  distance  with  sufficient  accuracy, 
to  bring  the  Sabine  within  sight,  he  figured 
that  the  commotion  her  appearance  would 
cause  would  betray  her  presence  to  him, 
even  immured  as  he  was  in  the  dark  depths 
of  the  schooner's  hold,  and  the  subsequent 
movements  of  the  schooner  might  give  him 
a  clue  as  to  her  bearings. 

The  Sabine  lay  on  the  north  side  of  the 
island,  her  bows  run  up  on  the  beach  and 
pointing  almost  due  south  as  Craig  remem- 
bered it.  Her  steering  pointer  was  set  for 
a  westerly  course.  Closing  the  switch  of  the 
controller  box,  Craig  moved  the  arm  which 


The  Fate  of  the  Pretty  Polly       235 

controlled  the  steering  arrow  on  the  Sabine 
until  the  latter  pointed  due  south.  He  then 
pressed  the  lever  which  started  the  motors 
and  backed  the  yacht  off  the  beach  into  deep 
water.  Allowing  sufficient  time  for  her  to 
get  well  clear  of  the  island,  he  reversed  the 
current  and  released  the  steering  mechanism 
from  the  deflecting  influence  of  the  controller 
box. 

If  all  had  gone  well  the  Sabine  would  im- 
mediately start  forward  and  swing  into  her 
westerly  course.  Allowing  her  sufficient 
time  to  get  well  clear  of  the  island,  Craig 
again  shifted  the  arm  of  the  controller  box 
to  bring  the  Sabine  upon  a  southwest  course. 
So  far  the  problem  had  been  easy ;  the  difficul- 
ties would  now  begin.  If  the  Pretty  Polly  had 
kept  away  dead  before  the  trade  wind,  as  her 
gently  rolling  motion  would  seem  to  indicate, 
her  present  position  would  be  somewhere  to 
the  southwest  of  the  island.  Assuming  an 
average  speed  of  six  knots,  which  was  as 
high  as  weather  conditions  seemed  to  war- 
rant, her  distance  would  be  approximately 
one  hundred  and  twenty  nautical  miles. 


236  The  Dominant  Chord 

To  guide  the  Sabine  by  means  of  the 
remote  controller  over  one  hmidred  and 
twenty  miles  of  trackless  ocean  to  within 
sight  of  a  moving  speck  upon  its  surface, 
whose  position  he  did  not  accurately  know, 
was  the  problem  which  confronted  him.  It 
was  the  task  of  the  needle  and  the  haystack, 
with  a  blind  man  as  the  searcher. 

"With  hardly  a  hope  of  success,  Craig 
pressed  the  lever  which  turned  on  the  full 
power  of  the  Sabine's  motors,  and  settled 
down  to  a  systematic  trial  of  the  case.  He 
shuddered  to  think  of  what  would  happen 
should  anything  floating  cross  the  path  of 
the  yacht  when  travelling  at  the  frightful 
speed  he  knew  she  must  be  making,  but  the 
risk  must  be  run,  and  the  chase  was  over  a 
part  of  the  ocean  unfrequented  by  vessels 
following  the  trade  routes. 

As  he  started  his  plan  in  operation  the 
nautical  clock  in  the  cabin  struck  eight  bells. 
The  sound  came  faint  but  distinctly  audible 
to  him  through  the  heavy  bulkhead.  The 
first  pale  glow  of  the  dawn  was  beginning  to 
filter  through  the  deadlights  into  the  state- 


The  Fate  of  the  Pretty  Polly       237 

room  beyond,  and  Craig  could  now  make  out 
the  aperture  in  the  partition,  a  small  gray 
patch  in  the  engulj&ng  darkness. 

He  determined  to  keep  the  Sabine  on  her 
southwest  course  for  two  hours,  and  then 
begin  to  zigzag  back  and  forth  across  this 
course,  increasing  the  length  and  angle  of 
her  tacks  in  a  regular  progression  as  the 
time  went  on.  In  this  way  he  could  sweep 
a  broad  expanse  of  ocean,  and  if  his  calcu- 
lations had  been  correct  there  was  a  faint 
chance  of  success.  The  cabin  clock  would  be 
an  invaluable  aid  to  him  in  the  plan,  as  it 
struck  the  bells  every  half  hour,  allowing 
him  to  time  his  movements  accurately. 

Having  set  his  plan  in  motion,  Craig  se- 
lected a  place  where  the  berth  in  the  state- 
room would  conceal  his  operations,  and  at- 
tacked the  bulkhead  with  his  rusty  auger. 
By  boring  a  sufficient  number  of  holes,  he 
hoped  to  be  able  to  cut  out  a  square  in  the 
partition  large  enough  to  allow  him  to  crawl 
through  into  the  cabin.  The  work  was  heart- 
breaking, for  the  partition  was  of  oak,  and 
the  worm  on  the  bit  was  so  far  gone  that 


238  The  Dominant  Chord 

the  tool  had  to  be  forced  into  the  wood  by 
main  strength. 

Hour  after  hour  Craig  worked  at  the  task. 
With  every  hole  that  he  forced  through  the 
bulkhead  his  cutter  became  duller,  but  with 
every  hole  his  outlet  to  freedom  became 
nearer  of  accomplishment.  The  hot,  stag- 
nant atmosphere  of  the  hold  pressed  heavily 
upon  him.  His  limbs  were  drenched  with 
perspiration,  and  his  muscles  ached  with  the 
heavy  labour.  His  injured  head  throbbed 
dully,  and  a  metal  band  seemed  to  be  tighten- 
ing about  his  forehead. 

He  wondered  if  it  was  the  intention  of  his 
captors  to  starve  him  to  death,  as  He  had  had 
no  attention  since  being  cast  into  the  place, 
and  the  fear  continually  assailed  him  that, 
in  spite  of  his  calculations,  the  course  of  the 
schooner  might  have  been  changed.  Had 
Captain  Smith  remained  in  charge  tKis 
would  undoubtedly  have  been  done,  but  the 
powers  of  strategy  of  the  present  com- 
mander did  not  suggest  to  him  the  desira- 
bility of  such  an  expedient. 

No  sound  came  to  Craig  in  his  dark  prison 


The  Fate  of  the  Pretty  Polly       239 

but  the  occasional  creaking  of  the  boom,  as 
the  schooner  rolled  gently  in  the  long  swells, 
and  the  soft  ripple  of  the  water  as  it  slipped 
along  the  side.  Craig  wondered  dully  what 
had  become  of  Alice,  but  no  sound  from  the 
deck  came  to  give  him  an  inkling  of  what 
was  transpiring  above.  Every  time  the 
cabin  clock  struck  the  bells,  he  altered  the 
course  of  the  Sabine  according  to  his  plan, 
but  as  the  hours  dragged  on  he  began  to 
despair  of  any  result. 

He  was  just  wondering  whether  he  had 
not  planted  his  holes  sufficiently  thick  to 
enable  him  to  kick  out  the  enclosed  piece  of 
the  panel  when  his  attention  was  attracted 
by  a  commotion  on  deck.  Muffled  shouts  and 
the  rattle  of  blocks  came  faintly  to  his  ears, 
and  he  felt  the  heel  of  the  vessel  as  she  was 
braced  sharply  up  on  the  wind.  Evidently 
the  Sahine,  or  something  else,  was  in  sight. 
If  he  could  only  get  a  glance  from  the  deck. 
He  attacked  the  bulkhead  with  redoubled 
fury. 

Suddenly,  in  the  midst  of  the  confusion, 
he  heard  Alice's  clear,  resonant  voice  in- 


240  The  Dominant  Chord 

tonating  the  bell  song  from  the  operatic  suc- 
cess of  the  season,  "  The  Mountain  Mon- 
astery." At  the  beginning  of  each  strain 
she  would  strike  the  treble  *'  C  "  and  then 
firmly  and  clearly  strike  the  fourth  above. 
Instantly  it  flashed  over  Craig  what  she  was 
trying  to  do,  and  he  blessed  and  marvelled 
at  the  ready  wit  of  the  girl.  She  was  sig- 
nalling to  him  the  position  of  the  yacht,  as 
the  detector  would  have  signalled  it. 

The  Sabine  must  be  broad  on  the  star- 
board beam.  Craig  dropped  the  bit-stock 
and  touched  the  arm  of  the  controller  box. 
Immediately  Alice  responded  with  a  cadenza 
which  ended  with  a  diminished  seventh.  The 
commotion  on  deck  redoubled.  The  rattle  of 
blocks,  the  slapping  of  canvas  and  the  heel- 
ing of  the  schooner  showed  that  the  course 
was  being  changed  again. 

Once  more  Alice's  bell-like  voice  struck 
the  treble  ' '  C  "  and  then  soared  upward  like 
a  bird  to  the  octave.  The  Pretty  Polly  was 
in  full  flight.  The  Sabine  must  be  directly 
astern,  but  at  what  distance  Craig  had  no 
means  of  knowing. 


The  Fate  of  the  Pretty  Polly       241 

Suddenly  Craig  felt  the  schooner's  helm 
put  down.  As  she  shot  trembling  up  into 
the  wind  a  chorus  of  frightened  cries  arose 
from  her  deck,  mingled  with  a  single  scream, 
''  Stop  her!  " 

The  next  moment  there  was  a  terrific 
crash,  and  Craig  was  hurled  across  the  deck 
against  the  side  of  the  schooner.  Instinc- 
tively he  had  clung  to  the  controller  box  and 
almost  before  he  struck  he  had  shut  off  the 
power,  but  not  before  a  second  crash  had 
given  the  schooner  her  death  blow. 

Bruised  and  bleeding  Craig  struggled  to 
his  feet  and  threw  himself  desperately 
against  the  panel,  kicking  at  it  savagely  with 
his  feet.  Under  the  fury  of  his  assault,  the 
wood  finally  gave  way,  and  crawling  through 
the  aperture  he  made  his  way  into  the  cabin. 

The  schooner  was  lying  on  her  beam  ends, 
and  he  could  hear  the  water  pouring  into 
her  in  torrents  through  a  great  rent  in  her 
side.  As  he  crawled  up  the  companionway, 
she  gave  a  convulsive  shudder  and  elevating 
her  stern,  plunged,  bow  first,  beneath  the 
waves. 


242  The  Dominant  Chord 

As  soon  as  Craig  got  his  head  above  the 
surface  from  the  considerable  depth  to 
which  he  had  been  carried  down  by  the 
vortex  formed  by  the  sinking  of  the  schooner, 
his  first  glance  was  for  Alice.  His  heart 
gave  a  great  throb  as  he  saw  her  dark  brown 
hair  just  topping  the  crest  of  a  wave  near 
him.  She  must  have  jumped  before  the 
schooner  went  down,  and  succeeded  in  get- 
ting far  enough  away  to  prevent  being 
drawn  under. 

A  few  strokes  were  sufficient  to  carry 
Craig  to  her  side,  and  the  look  of  relief  and 
joy  which  overspread  her  face  when  she  saw 
him  amply  repaid  him  for  all  he  had  gone 
through  in  the  last  few  hours.  She  was 
heavily  weighed  down  by  her  clothing,  but 
with  admirable  presence  of  mind  she  was 
not  exhausting  herself  by  useless  struggles, 
merely  keeping  herself  afloat. 

The  Sabine  was  floating  quietly  some 
twenty  or  thirty  yards  from  them  with  the 
gangway  ladder  hanging  over  the  side  just 
as  they  had  left  it  the  preceding  morning. 
She  showed  no  signs  of  the  terrific  collision 


The  Fate  of  the  Pretty  Polly       243 

which  she  had  had  with  the  schooner,  but 
rode  the  waves  as  serenely  and  buoyantly  as 
a  duck. 

Placing  Alice's  hand  on  his  shoulder, 
Craig  struck  out  for  the  yacht.  Ordinarily 
the  swim  would  have  been  nothing  for  him, 
but  exhausted  by  his  recent  exertions,  and 
weakened  by  the  blow  he  had  received  on 
the  head,  he  was  all  but  gone  when  he 
reached  the  gangway,  and  to  draw  himself 
up  on  the  ladder  and  assist  his  companion 
to  the  deck  were  tasks  which  taxed  the  rem- 
nant of  his  strength  to  the  utmost. 

Leaving  Alice  in  the  chart  house,  Craig 
returned  to  the  deck  to  see  if  he  could  dis- 
cover any  trace  of  the  crew  of  the  ill-fated 
schooner.  The  sea  was  littered  with  wreck- 
age, and  he  had  seen  several  heads  bobbing 
up  and  down  in  the  water  as  he  was  swim- 
ming for  the  yacht.  An  earnest  and  careful 
scrutiny,  however,  failed  to  reveal  any  signs 
of  life.  The  crew  of  the  Pretty  Polly  had 
gone  down  with  her  to  a  man.  As  is  fre- 
quently the  case  with  those  who  follow  the 
sea,  not  one  of  them  could  swim.    With  their 


244  The  Dominant  Chord 

crimes  all  unrepented,  and  the  curses  still 
on  their  lips,  they  had  followed  their  mur- 
dered captain  into  the  great  port  of  the  un- 
known. 

Cruising  slowly  around  in  the  vicinity  of 
the  wreckage  until  there  was  no  further  pos- 
sibility of  rescuing  any  of  the  doomed 
wretches,  Craig  returned  to  the  pilot  house, 
and  with  a  saddened  heart  put  the  Sabine 
back  on  her  course  to  the  westward. 


CHAPTER   XIX 

Aladdin's  palace 

When  Alice  awoke  from  the  heavy,  un- 
broken, dreamless  sleep,  which  the  excite- 
ment and  tension  of  their  terrible  experience 
had  produced,  her  first  sensation  was  one  of 
extreme  hunger.  The  soft  hum  of  the  mo- 
tors and  the  peculiar  gliding  motion  she  had 
become  so  accustomed  to  on  the  yacht  were 
missing;  evidently  the  Sabine  had  tempora- 
rily suspended  her  wanderings  for  some  rea- 
son or  other.  Hastily  rising  she  made  her 
morning  acquaintance  with  the  shower  in  her 
fairy  grotto,  and  with  her  body  glowing 
from  the  exhilarating  effects  of  the  needle 
spray,  she  hurriedly  donned  the  blue  yacht- 
ing suit  she  was  accustomed  to  wear  and 
prepared  to  ascend  to  the  deck. 

On  reaching  the  saloon,  however,  the  long- 
ing of  her  physical  being  for  nourishment 
constrained  her,  and  turning  aside  she  made 
246 


246  The  Dominant  Chord 

her  way  forward  to  the  pantry.  She  had 
long  since  familiarized  herself  with  this  part 
of  the  ship.  On  ransacking  the  larder  she 
found  ample  food  to  satisfy  the  first  keen 
edge  of  her  hunger.  The  silence  on  board 
the  yacht  was  deep  and  unbroken,  but  Alice 
did  not  mind  that.  Silence  and  tranquillity 
seemed  to  find  their  natural  throne  on  board 
the  Sabine,  and  Alice's  city-deafened  ears 
had  long  since  grown  accustomed  to  it. 
After  hastily  partaking  of  some  cold  salad 
and  coffee,  which  she  prepared  over  one  of 
the  little  electric  stoves,  Alice  removed  the 
remains  of  her  repast  and  ascended  to  the 
deck. 

On  emerging  from  the  chart  house,  she 
found  the  Sabine  high  and  dry  upon  the 
beach  of  a  beautiful  tropical  island.  The 
island  was  apparently  about  a  mile  and  a 
half  long  and  possibly  half  that  distance  in 
width,  and  was  roughly  oval  in  shape,  A 
long  reef  of  black,  barnacle-encrusted  rocks 
ran  along  one  side  of  it  and  around  the  point 
at  the  end,  forming  a  deep  pocket  or  lagoon 
about  an  eighth  of  a  mile  wide.    The  Sabine 


Aladdin's  Palace  247 

had  been  beached  at  the  very  bottom  of  this 
little  bay,  where  the  conformation  of  the 
land  concealed  her  from  anyone  examining 
the  lagoon  from  the  entrance. 

The  island  rose  on  all  sides  from  the  water 
in  a  gentle  slope  to  a  little  knoll  in  the  cen- 
tre, whose  summit  was  crowned  with  a  flour- 
ishing growth  of  palm  trees,  and  nestling 
snugly  among  their  sturdy  trunks,  embow- 
ered in  their  luxuriant  foliage,  the  low  eaves 
and  sloping  roofs  of  a  tiny  bungalow  were 
seen  perched  upon  the  topmost  summit  of 
the  rise. 

Craig  was  nowhere  to  be  seen,  but  the 
lowered  gangway  and  the  footprints  on  the 
sand  gave  evidence  that  he  was  on  the 
island.  Alice  gathered  her  skirts  about  her 
and  descended  to  the  beach.  Stepping  out 
upon  the  hard,  white  sand  she  turned,  and 
for  the  first  time  had  an  opportunity  to  ex- 
amine the  entire  under  body  of  the  strange 
and  remarkable  craft  on  which  she  was  nom- 
inally a  prisoner.  The  Sabine  was  resting 
on  two  huge  wheels,  which  were  embedded, 
one  in  the  forward  part  of  the  keel,  and  the 


248  The  Dominant  Chord 

other  in  the  large  and  heavily  moulded  rud- 
der at  the  stem,  which  raised  her  keel  about 
two  feet  from  the  beach.  A  row  of  smaller 
wheels  or  rollers  set  close  together  along 
the  keel  were  provided  to  take  care  of  any 
sudden  inequalities  in  the  ground  over  which 
she  moved,  but  as  her  rolling  equipment  had 
been  provided  more  especially  for  use  on  the 
ocean  bottom,  they  were  seldom  needed.  The 
same  gyrostats  which  served  to  steady  her 
in  a  seaway,  and  which  gave  her  her  smooth 
and  gliding  movement  through  the  water, 
served  also  to  keep  her  on  an  even  keel  when 
out  of  her  natural  element,  and  Alice,  as  she 
stood  there  examining  the  craft,  could  hear 
their  faint,  rhythmic  hum  as  they  rotated 
smoothly  upon  their  oil  cushions.  Two  dark, 
cavernous  openings,  like  the  blowholes  of 
some  huge,  amphibious  monster,  were  placed 
under  the  bows  close  to  the  keel,  and  served 
to  feed  the  huge  rotary  pumps  that  supplied 
the  powerful  jets  which  propelled  the  yacht 
at  her  phenomenal  speed. 

Alice,  absorbed  in  the  examination  of  the 
yacht,  was  suddenly  interrupted  by  a  loud 


Aladdin's  Palace  249 

and  joyous  barking,  and  looking  up  she  saw 
a  flying  form  come  bounding  down  the  hill 
to  meet  her.  It  was  Boris,  her  favourite 
Russian  wolfhound.  The  great  brute  leaped 
and  fawned  about  her,  giving  tongue  to  his 
delight  in  short,  sharp  yelps,  and  seemed 
about  to  turn  himself  inside  out  in  a  veri- 
table paroxysm  of  joy.  Calming  the  exu- 
berant enthusiasm  of  her  pet,  Alice  took  the 
well  used  path  leading  up  from  the  water 
and  ascended  the  hill,  at  the  top  of  which 
stood  the  cosy  little  bungalow. 

Craig  met  her  on  the  front  porch,  and 
greeted  her  with  a  profound  Oriental  salaam. 

' '  Welcome  to  your  kingdom,  0  Princess ! 
The  palace  is  prepared  for  you.  The  guests 
are  assembled  and  everything  is  ready. 
Where  will  it  please  your  Eoyal  Highness  to 
be  crowned?  " 

**  Do  you  call  this  a  kingdom?  "  responded 
Alice.  '*  Wliy  this  is  not  as  big  as  the  golf 
links  at  Ardsley,  and  Papa  has  a  shooting 
preserve  in  the  Adirondacks  that  you  could 
lose  this  little  two-penny  island  in  and  never 
find  it  again.'* 


250  The  Dominant  Chord 

*'  That  may  be  very  true,  Princess,  but 
you  must  know  that  it  is  not  size,  but  quality 
that  counts  in  a  kingdom.  You  shall  be 
queen  not  only  of  the  land  but  of  the  sea, 
and  of  the  land  under  the  sea,  and  your 
kingdom  shall  extend  as  far  as  the  eye  can 
reach,  and  Boris  and  I  will  be  your  loyal  and 
devoted  subjects.  You  shall  have  dominion 
over  the  fowl  of  the  air,  the  beasts  of  the 
fields,  and  the  fish  in  the  sea,  and  over  all 
things  that  walketh  or  crawleth  upon  the 
earth,  or  in  the  waters  under  the  earth. 
Observe  how  you  are  walled  and  buttressed 
about  by  cruel  reefs.  No  hostile  prow  will 
ever  dare  approach  your  domain  in  the  face 
of  these  armed  and  sleepless  guardians.  The 
mouth  of  the  lagoon,  or  shall  we  say  the 
postern  gate,  is  closed  by  two  loud-mouthed 
torpedoes,  whose  stentorian  voices  shall 
never  fail  to  warn  us  of  the  enemies'  ap- 
proach. He  will,  indeed,  be  a  bold  pirate 
who  attempts  to  force  our  stronghold,  won't 
he,  Boris?  " 

The  big  hound  looked  up  into  his  face  with 
liquid,  intelligent  eyes,  as  if  to  say,  "  What- 


Aladdin's  Palace  251 

ever  you  and  my  mistress  decree  must  be 
so." 

"  You  seem  to  be  proselyting  my  subjects 
already,"  remarked  Alice.  '*  I  have  never 
shared  Boris'  allegiance  with  anyone  before. 
Come  here,  Boris,  I  am  surprised  at  you." 

The  hound  came  obediently  and  crouched 
at  her  feet,  looking  from  one  to  the  other, 
as  if  trying  to  understand  the  relation  be- 
tween them. 

**  You  have  not  explained  the  presence  of 
my  other  subject  yet.  Is  this  another  mys- 
tery? " 

"  Oh,  no.  The  hound  missed  you,  and  I 
knew  you  were  fond  of  him,  so  I  borrowed 
him.  He  came  on  board  the  other  night  at 
Key  West." 

"  So  you  borrowed  him,  did  you?  In  the 
same  way  that  you  borrowed  me,  I  pre- 
sume? " 

*'  Precisely." 

**  You  seem  to  be  a  confirmed  believer  in 
Wordsworth's  '  simple  plan,  that  they  should 
take  who  have  the  power,  and  they  should 
keep  who  can.'  " 


252  The  Dominant  Chord 

"  I  am  afraid  you  are  riglit;  there  is  an 
elemental  efficacy  in  the  method  that  is  at- 
tractive to  one  of  an  imaginative  trend  of 
mind. ' ' 

**  So  we  have  touched  at  Key  West,  have 
we?    When  was  that,  pray!  " 

*  *  The  other  evening.  You  had  retired  for 
the  night,  so  I  thought  I  would  not  disturb 
you  by  announcing  our  arrival." 

"  You  were  very  considerate.  Were  there 
any  ships  there?  " 

"  Yes;  several.  I  think  some  of  them 
must  have  been  engaged  in  searching  for 
you,  but  as  we  entered  the  harbour  several 
feet  beneath  the  surface  I  do  not  think  they 
noticed  our  arrival." 

"  We  must  be  quite  near  Key  West  then," 
observed  Alice  tentatively. 

"  That  depends  upon  your  standards  of 
time  and  distance.  Quite  near  for  the  Sa- 
bine might  be  quite  a  way  off  for  another 
ship.  You  perceive  that  quite  near  is  a  very 
relative  term." 

**  So  I  should  say.  But,  tell  me,  how  came 
the  bungalow  here?  " 


Aladdin's  Palace  253 

'^  The  palace,  if  your  Royal  Highness 
pleases.  Why,  I  built  it  yesterday,  or  rather, 
I  put  it  together.  It  is  constructed  on  the 
portable  plan,  and  goes  together  with  bolts. ' ' 

*' You  built  it  yesterday!  But,  I  don't 
understand.    Yesterday  we  were  —  ' ' 

"  Yesterday  you  were  sleeping  the  sleep 
of  the  just  —  and  tired.  This  is  our  second 
day  at  the  island.  We  arrived  early  yester- 
day morning. ' ' 

"  Do  you  mean  to  say  that  I  have  slept 
thirty-six  hours  at  a  stretch?  Why,  I  never 
did  a  thing  like  that  before  in  my  life. ' ' 

**  Probably  not,  but  you  see  your  nerves 
were  somewhat  unstrung  by  your  painful  ex- 
perience on  board  that  schooner,  and  noth- 
ing restores  one's  mental  tone  like  plenty  of 
good  sound  sleep,  so  I  took  the  liberty  of 
administering  a  little  harmless  sedative  to 
you  at  supper.  It  has  been  beneficial.  I  can 
see  that  in  your  eyes  and  in  the  elasticity  of 
your  walk." 

"  There  seems  to  be  no  limit  to  the  pre- 
rogatives you  usurp,"  said  Alice  in  an  an- 
noyed tone. 


254  The  Dominant  Chord 

She  was  startled  and  disturbed  to  have  it 
brought  home  to  her  so  forcibly,  how  com- 
pletely she  was  in  this  man's  power.  The 
velvet  glove  so  perfectly  concealed  the  iron 
grasp  which  he  had  upon  the  situation  that 
at  times  she  almost  forgot  what  their  actual 
relations  were. 

Craig  quickly  detected  the  note  of  anger 
and  annoyance  in  her  voice. 

**  Indeed  there  is  a  limit,"  he  protested, 
**  a  very  sharp  and  clearly  defined  limit.  I 
wish  there  were  not.  Some  day  I  hope  it  will 
be  different." 

Alice  coloured  slightly,  and  hastened  to 
remove  the  conversation  from  the  dangerous 
ground  on  which  it  was  beginning  to  en- 
croach. *'  Shall  we  inspect  the  —  palace?  " 
she  asked. 

Craig  at  once  led  her  within. 

The  framing  of  the  bungalow  was  con- 
structed of  hewn  and  polished  mahogany 
logs  bolted  together  with  heavy  bronze  ma- 
chine bolts.  On  this  structure  the  panels  of 
the  walls  and  roof  were  attached  by  bolting 
through  to  heavy  ornamental  angle  irons. 


Aladdin's  Palace  255 

The  building  was  square  as  to  floor  plan,  and 
a  story  and  a  half  in  height.  The  lower  floor 
was  entirely  given  up  to  a  large  and  airy 
living  room  with  windows  on  all  sides,  and 
surrounded  by  a  broad  covered  veranda. 
The  upper  floor  had  been  reserved  for  a 
boudoir  and  open-air  sleeping  apartment  for 
Alice.  It  was  open  on  all  sides,  the  roof 
being  supported  only  by  the  framing  tim- 
bers. A  low  parapet  ran  around  it,  and  the 
space  between  it  and  the  broad  projecting 
eaves  could  be  closed  by  windows  and  shut- 
ters which  were  hooked  up  to  the  rafters 
when  not  in  use.  Access  was  gained  to  this 
apartment  by  a  single  staircase  which  was 
balanced  by  a  counter-weight,  so  that  it  could 
be  raised  entirely,  closing  the  opening  in  the 
floor  and  effectually  cutting  off  all  access 
from  below. 

The  view  from  this  upper  apartment  was 
magnificent,  commanding  the  island  and  the 
full  sweep  of  the  ocean  in  every  direction. 
From  its  broad  parapet  the  ring  of  breakers 
could  be  seen  tumbling  in  upon  the  jagged 
reefs,  and  enveloping  the  island  in  a  circling 


256  The  Dominant  Chord 

smother  of  foam,  save  only  at  the  northeast, 
where  a  narrow  opening  gave  entrance  to 
the  quiet  waters  of  the  lagoon. 

There  was  no  provision  for  a  kitchen;  the 
meals  being  prepared  on  the  Sabine  and 
served  from  a  wheeled  hamper  on  the  pi- 
azza. 

The  furniture  was  comfortable,  if  scanty, 
consisting  of  a  few  light  bamboo  tables, 
couches  and  chairs,  with  grass  mats  scat- 
tered about  the  floor,  and  the  inevitable  ham- 
mock in  variety  and  abundance. 

**  Well,  Princess,  what  do  you  think  of 
your  domain?  "  asked  Craig,  as  they  stood 
by  the  parapet  looking  out  over  the  deep 
blue  of  the  distant  ocean. 

Alice  paused  for  a  moment  before  reply- 
ing,—  **  Why,  I  think,"  she  responded  at 
last,  **  that  for  a  prison  it  is  very  satisfac- 
tory, quite  as  satisfactory,  indeed,  as  one 
could  expect.'* 

**  Palace,  you  mean.  Princess,  not  a 
prison,  surely." 

*'  Well,  you  may  call  it  a  palace  if  you 
wish,  but  it  is  a  prison  nevertheless.    At  any 


Aladdin's  Palace  257 

rate,  palace  or  prison,  it  must  have  been  a 
stupendous  undertaking  to  put  it  up  in  one 
day.  I  can  hardly  credit  it.  You  must  be 
a  veritable  Aladdin,  with  the  wonderful 
lamp  in  your  coat  pocket,  and  innumerable 
genii  working  overtime  for  you.'* 

**  I'm  afraid  I  shall  have  to  deny  myself 
the  pleasure  of  admitting  the  lamp  and  the 
genii,  and  plead  guilty  to  nothing  more  start- 
ling than  to  an  electric  boat-crane.  You 
forget  that  I  have  unlimited  power  at  my 
disposal,  and  the  amphibious  nature  of  the 
Sabine  enabled  me  to  apply  it  where  it  was 
needed.  By  running  her  up  the  hill,  I  was 
able  to  use  her  boat-crane  to  handle  the  sec- 
tions, and  it  was  only  a  matter  of  putting 
in  the  bolts  and  tightening  them  up.  Even 
at  that,  though,  it  was  a  rather  robust  job 
for  one  day,  and  necessitated  stretching  it 
considerably  at  either  end." 


CHAPTER   XX 

THE    MAGIC   OP   THE    MOON" 

One  evening  Craig  was  seated  on  the 
veranda  enjoying  his  after-dinner  cigar, 
when  Alice  came  out  of  the  living  room, 
where  she  had  been  reading,  and  expressed 
a  desire  to  walk  out  to  the  edge  of  the  grove, 
from  which  point  could  be  seen  the  surf  as 
it  broke  in  the  moonlight  on  the  rocks  at  the 
mouth  of  the  lagoon. 

*'  Most  willingly,  0  Princess,"  acqui- 
esced Craig  with  alacrity.  **  You  have  but 
to  command." 

Slowly,  side  by  side  they  walked  through 
the  vaulted  isles  of  their  sylvan  cathedral  to 
the  selected  coign  of  vantage.  The  moonlight 
was  flooding  everything  in  a  shower  of  sil- 
very radiance,  and  the  soft,  cool  breath  of 
the  trade  winds  was  rustling  in  the  leafy 
tangle  above  them.  Something  of  the  witch- 
ery of  the  night  must  have  got  into  Craig's 
258 


The  Magic  of  the  Moon  ^5d 

blood,  for  his  first  words  were  clothed  in  the 
fanciful  imagery  of  the  poets. 

" '  How  sweet  the  moonlight  sleeps  on  yonder  bank. 

Here  will  we  sit  and  let  the  sound  of  music  creep  into 
our  ears. 
Soft  stillness  and  the  night  become  the  touches  of 
sweet  harmony.' 

**  That  is  not  jnst  the  way  the  mnch  mis- 
quoted William  said  it,''  he  laughed,  "  but 
that  is  the  way  he  ought  to  have  said  it." 

Craig  threw  himself  down  at  the  foot  of  a 
giant  palm  as  he  spoke,  and  looked  up  along 
the  smooth,  round  column  of  its  bole  to  where 
its  luxuriant  cluster  of  waving  fronds  were 
tossing  their  silvered  tips  against  the  soft, 
black  velvet  of  the  night. 

As  if  in  answer  to  his  words  there  was 
borne  to  their  ears  the  low,  sweet  breath  of 
muted  strings  and  woodwind,  of  distant 
trumpets  and  the  beating  of  tiny  drums.  It 
was  the  Tel-orchestrion  on  the  Sabine  play- 
ing the  orchestral  arrangement  of  **  The 
Dance  of  the  Elfs  "  from  the  "  Moonlight 
Sonata;  "  playing  it  as  mortal  fingers  could 
never  play  it.     Under   the   magic   of   the 


260  The  Dominant  Chord 

music  the  broad,  silvery  path  of  the  moon's 
beams  became  suddenly  peopled  with  fairy 
forms  twisting,  turning,  gliding,  weaving 
in  and  out  with  gleaming  bodies  floating 
in  clouds  of  diaphanous  gossamer  drapery. 
One  could  almost  hear  the  delicate  footfalls 
of  fairy  spirits  dancing  on  the  greensward; 
the  ringing  of  little  silver  bells  and  the  blow- 
ing of  elfin  horns. 

Far  out  on  the  reefs  the  surf  was  boom- 
ing faintly,  a  deep  and  distant  diapason. 
Above  them  the  night  wind  was  softly  whis- 
pering lovers'  secrets  into  the  nodding  heads 
of  the  drowsy  palm  trees.  All  the  still,  small 
voices  of  the  night  were  taking  up  their  part 
in  nature's  wondrous  nocturne,  and  over  all, 
flooding,  inundating,  deluging  all,  was  the 
marvellous  magic  radiance  of  a  tropic  moon. 

**  It  is  beautiful!  beautiful!  "  murmured 
Alice. 

"It  is  beautiful,"  Craig  replied.  '*  It 
needs  but  one  thing  to  make  it  perfect.'* 

"  And  what  is  that?  " 

**  Love,  supreme  and  perfect  love,  the 
most  beautiful  thing  in  the  world.     *  And 


The  Magic  of  the  Moon  261 

now  abideth  faith,  hope,  love,  but  the  great- 
est of  these  is  love.'  " 

"  Oh!  don't,  please  don't!  "  she  pleaded. 
*  *  You  will  spoil  it  all. ' ' 

'*  Don't?  How  can  I  help  it?  "  he  cried 
passionately.  ^'  Do  you  think  I  am  a  stick 
or  a  stone,  a  mass  of  dead,  insensible,  inan- 
imate clay?  Oh!  Princess,  Princess,  I  love 
you!  With  every  throb  of  my  heart,  with 
every  drop  of  my  blood,  with  every  fibre  of 
my  being,  I  love  you!  You  are  my  hope  of 
happiness,  my  dream  of  bliss,  my  religion 
almost.  I  love  you  with  a  love  that  is  more 
than  passion,  more  than  pain,  more  than  life 
itself,  stronger  than  my  hope  of  heaven,  my 
fear  of  hell,  enduring  as  eternity." 

He  leaned  towards  her  with  glowing  eyes, 
and  in  her  own  dark  orbs  he  saw  a  wondrous 
light  that  no  man  had  ever  beheld  there  be- 
fore. Her  long,  slender  hand  lay  beside  her 
on  the  grass,  gleaming  in  the  moonlight, 
white  as  alabaster,  delicate  as  chiseled  ivory. 
He  covered  it  with  his  strong,  brown  one, 
tense  and  vibrant  as  a  bowstring.  But  at 
his   touch,    thrilling,   burning,    almost   com- 


262  The  Dominant  Chord 

pelling,  the  charm  suddenly  dissolved.  The 
spell  was  broken. 

Springing  to  her  feet  like  a  wild  thing, 
she  turned  and  faced  him,  and  the  flame  in 
her  eyes  matched  the  fire  of  her  words.  **  I 
hate  you !    Oh,  I  hate  you !  '  * 

Like  a  wraith  of  the  night  she  flitted 
through  the  grove  and  down  to  the  beach. 

Craig  heard  the  distant  sound  of  a  door 
slammed.  The  strains  of  the  Tel-orches- 
trion abruptly  ceased. 

Far  into  the  night  he  lay  there,  white- 
lipped  and  rigid;  his  clenched  hands  buried 
in  the  soft  grass  of  the  slope,  and  his  burn- 
ing eyes  fixed  unwaveringly,  unseeingly  upon 
some  intangible,  unmarked  point  upon  the 
distant  ocean. 


CHAPTER   XXI 

A   SUBPEISE   AND   A   EACE 

Aftee  the  outburst  of  that  first  evening 
had  subsided,  an  outburst  which  the  combi- 
nation of  a  balmy  night  and  a  tropic  moon 
had  helped  to  produce,  life  on  the  island  set- 
tled down  into  much  the  same  lines  that  had 
characterized  it  on  the  yacht.  Alice  spent 
her  days  in  wandering  about  the  place,  ma- 
king collections  of  rare  ferns  and  flowers, 
or  floating  idly  in  her  crystal  bark  upon  the 
limpid  waters  of  the  lagoon.  She  explored 
every  nook  and  cranny  of  the  reef,  searching 
for  curious  shells,  sea  urchins,  and  the  rare 
and  delicately  beautiful  specimens  of  sea 
moss  with  which  the  rocks  abounded.  These 
last  she  mounted  on  glass  plates  until  her 
collection  was  singularly  artistic  and  com- 
plete. 

In  addition  to  the  electric  cable  which  con- 
trolled the  two  warning  torpedoes,  Craig  had 
stretched   a  heavy  net   across   the   narrow 

263 


264  The  Dominant  Chord 

mouth  of  the  lagoon,  whose  stout  meshes 
served  to  keep  out  any  maraudmg  sharks 
that  might  be  disposed  to  enter,  and  as  Alice 
was  usually  accustomed  to  attire  herself  in 
her  bathing  suit  for  these  expeditions  on  the 
lagoon,  she  never  hesitated  to  dive  into  its 
pellucid  depths  for  any  rare  specimens  she 
might  chance  to  see  drifting  slowly  along  its 
sandy  bottom. 

Craig  left  her  very  much  to  herself,  spend- 
ing most  of  his  time  in  the  laboratory,  a  cir- 
cumstance which  piqued  her  not  a  little.  As 
birds  and  flowers  and  specimens  were  not 
wholly  able  to  permanently  satisfy  the  de- 
sire of  her  gregarious  nature  for  compan- 
ionship, it  became  little  by  little  customary 
for  her  to  drop  into  the  laboratory  in  the 
morning  and  watch  Craig  at  his  work,  and 
at  last  even  to  help  him  with  some  of  his 
experiments.  In  thus  sharing  in  his  labours 
she  found  that  she  was  gradually  acquiring 
a  perception  of  his  aims,  an  insight  into  the 
deep  and  hidden  traits  of  his  character, 
which  only  a  community  of  interests  could 
bestow. 


A  Surprise  and  a  Race  265 

How  long  they  would  have  remained  in 
this  pastoral  but  precarious  state,  is  uncer- 
tain, had  not  the  unexpected  one  day  leaped 
suddenly  upon  them  from  its  ambush  in  the 
great  unknown,  and  at  one  blow  destroyed 
the  sylvan  seclusion  of  their  retreat. 

One  afternoon  Alice  was  lying  in  the  ham- 
mock under  the  trees,  reading  aloud  from 
her  inevitable  Shake  spere  to  Craig,  who  was 
stretched  out  on  the  turf  at  her  feet,  enjoy- 
ing his  after-luncheon  cigar.  The  day  was 
a  perfect  one,  soft  and  balmy  and  languor- 
ous with  that  sensuous  pervading  languor  of 
the  tropics,  so  conducive  to  dreams  and  the 
building  of  castles  among  the  clouds.  The 
low,  well-modulated  voice  of  the  reader 
seemed  to  fit  in  and  harmonize  with  the 
scene,  as  the  rippling  murmur  of  a  brook 
harmonizes  with  sunshine  through  cool, 
green  branches  and  the  rustle  of  the  west 
wind  among  the  boughs,  as  the  soft  swish  of 
the  waves  upon  the  yellow  sand  and  the  rat- 
tle of  descending  pebbles  harmonized  with 
the  dull  booming  of  the  surf  upon  the  outer 
reefs. 


266  The  Dominant  Chord 

"  Full  fathom  five  thy  father  Ues; 
Of  his  bones  are  coral  made; 
Those  are  pearls  that  were  his  eyes: 

Nothing  of  him  that  doth  fade 
But  doth  suffer  a  sea  change 

Into  something  rich  and  strange. 
Searuymphs  hourly  ring  his  knell: 
Hark!  now  I  hear  them,  —  Ding-Dong,  BelL" 

A  subtle  change  in  the  timbre  of  the  read- 
er's  voice,  a  note  of  half-suppressed,  half- 
smothered  excitement,  caused  Craig  to  look 
up.  Alice  was  bending  over  the  book  with 
a  frown  on  her  brow  and  a  strange  light  in 
her  eyes.  She  seemed  to  be  concentrating 
her  thoughts  upon  the  text  by  a  supreme  but 
imperfectly  concealed  mental  effort.  Just 
then  Boris,  who  had  been  lying  asleep  near 
them,  raised  his  head,  and  looking  seaward 
growled  ominously.  Craig  turned  quickly. 
Just  entering  the  mouth  of  the  lagoon,  a  long 
black  trail  of  smoke  streaming  from  her  fun- 
nels, and  the  water  foaming  and  boiling 
under  her  cutwater,  was  a  large  torpedo 
boat  or  destroyer.  The  United  States  en- 
sign was  floating  over  her  stem,  and  a  knot 
of  white-clad  officers   on  her  bridge  were 


A  Surprise  and  a  Race  267 

attentively  examining  the  island  through 
their  binoculars.  The  destroyer  came  on 
rapidly  and  without  hesitation,  as  one  sure 
of  her  purpose.  The  powerful  glasses  on 
board  had  doubtless  long  since  revealed  to 
the  lookouts  the  little  group  under  the  palm 
trees. 

Craig  gave  one  look  at  the  destroyer,  and 
then,  without  the  slightest  ceremony,  turned, 
and,  gathering  Alice  up  in  his  arms,  started 
on  a  run  through  the  grove  and  down  the 
hill  to  the  beach,  where  the  Sabine  was  lying. 

Boris,  the  cause  of  the  premature  discov- 
ery, barked  and  frisked  along  beside  them 
as  if  he  thought  the  whole  affair  a  great 
lark. 

After  one  fierce,  but  ineffectual  effort, 
which  served  only  to  tighten  the  arms 
around  her,  Alice  made  no  resistance,  but 
allowed  herself  to  be  borne  rapidly  down  to 
the  beach.  The  pressure  of  Craig's  arms 
about  her  sent  a  strange,  but  exquisite  thrill 
through  her  body,  and  the  rapid  motion 
brought  the  rich  colour  to  her  cheeks  — 
while,  in  the  torrent   of  her  thoughts   one 


268  The  Dominant  Chord 

thing  stood  out  vividly,  Romano's  picture  of 
Paris  carrying  off  to  his  waiting  galley  the 
beautiful  Helen  of  Troy. 

As  they  hurried  down  the  hill  two  heavy 
reports  from  the  mouth  of  the  lagoon  told 
that  the  destroyer  had  passed  over  the  ca- 
bles which  controlled  the  firing  mechanism 
of  the  alarm  torpedoes.  Fortunately  the 
curving  of  the  lagoon  hid  the  Sahine  from 
those  on  board  the  destroyer,  so  that  their 
line  of  retreat  could  not  be  seen. 

Almost  before  Craig  gained  the  deck  the 
big  wheels  began  to  turn,  and  as  Alice  was 
deposited  glowing,  but  breathless,  on  the 
divan  in  the  chart  house,  the  heavy  water- 
tight doors  slid  home  and  were  forced  into 
their  sockets.  While  yet  the  destroyer  was 
several  hundred  yards  from  the  point  which 
concealed  the  Sabine  from  those  on  her 
bridge,  the  yacht  slid  gently  into  the  lagoon 
and  disappeared  beneath  the  surface. 

"Within  the  chart  house  the  two  principal 
actors  in  the  scene  faced  each  other,  the  one 
defiant,  the  other  victorious. 

**  Well,  you  certainly  treat  your  captives 


A  Surprise  and  a  Race  269 

with  scant  courtesy,"  remarked  Alice  frig- 
idly. 

**  *  Needs  must  when  the  devil  drives,'  " 
responded  Craig.  "  In  two  minutes  more 
that  torpedo  boat  would  have  been  right  on 
top  of  us." 

As  the  Sabine  slowly  felt  her  way  out  of 
the  lagoon,  over  the  smooth,  sandy  bottom, 
the  two  watchers  through  the  transparent 
panel  in  the  roof  of  the  chart  house  saw  the 
destroyer,  a  long  black  shadow  in  the  gleam- 
ing green,  pass  directly  overhead,  and 
through  the  sonorific  medium  in  which  they 
were  immersed,  the  hum  of  her  turbines  and 
the  beating  of  her  screws  came  distinctly  to 
their  ears. 

On  reaching  the  mouth  of  the  lagoon, 
Craig  brought  the  submarine  to  the  surface 
and  headed  her  back  outside  the  reef  to  the 
westward. 

As  the  yacht  opened  out  the  point  that  hid 
the  lower  end  of  the  lagoon,  the  destroyer 
was  seen  hoisting  out  a  boat.  Evidently  the 
officer  in  charge  was  nonplussed  at  not  find- 
ing his  prey  entrapped  at  the  bottom  of  the 


270  The  Dominant  Chord 

cul-de-sac,  but  he  seemed  determined  on  an 
investigation.  The  appearance  of  the  Sa- 
bine outside  the  reef  and  heading  at  a  fast 
clip  for  the  open  sea,  at  once  put  an  end  to 
the  landing  operations. 

The  whale  boat  was  quickly  hoisted  in- 
board, the  destroyer's  head  swung  around, 
and  at  race-horse  speed  she  headed  back  for 
the  mouth  of  the  lagoon.  As  she  passed 
them  going  in  the  opposite  direction,  Craig, 
through  his  glass,  read  her  name  in  gold 
letters  on  the  stern.  It  was  the  Sampson, 
the  largest  and  speediest  of  Uncle  Sam's 
flyers,  and  holder  of  the  phenomenal  record 
of  forty-four  knots  on  the  measured  mile. 
As  she  swung  around  the  point  of  the  reef, 
the  smoke  was  pouring  from  her  four  fun- 
nels in  clouds,  while  an  occasional  fleck  of 
flame  from  the  top  of  her  stack  showed  that 
she  was  being  stoked  to  the  utmost. 

The  Sahine  had,  in  the  meantime,  placed 
several  miles  between  her  and  the  island,  and 
was  tearing  along  at  an  extraordinary  pace. 

Craig  apparently  felt  the  urgency  of  the 
situation,  for  he  seemed  to  be  forcing  the 


A  Surprise  and  a  Race  271 

yacht  to  her  utmost  speed.  In  spite  of  his 
efforts,  however,  the  advantage  seemed  to  be 
with  the  destroyer.  Slowly  but  surely  she 
began  to  cut  down  the  distance  between 
them ;  the  gain  was  slow,  but  it  was  a  gain, 
nevertheless. 

Alice  could  see  the  group  of  officers  on 
her  bridge,  examining  them  through  their 
glasses,  and  she  felt  the  tingle  of  excitement 
in  the  race  in  which  she  herself  was  to  be 
the  prize. 

Craig  was  standing  by  the  binnacle,  watch- 
ing attentively  every  movement  of  the  des- 
troyer, and  Alice  could  not  refrain  from 
favouring  him  with  a  triumphant  smile ;  but 
as  the  destroyer  crept  closer  and  closer,  her 
feelings  began  to  undergo  a  strange  and 
subtle  change.  The  instinctive  partisan  sup- 
port of  one's  own,  the  unreasoning  loyalty 
which  always  cheers  on  the  home  team,  which 
always  backs  the  home  city  against  the  coun- 
try, the  nation  against  the  world;  the  in- 
grained American  determination  to  win ;  the 
intense  desire  to  be  first  at  any  cost,  to  tri- 
umph though  the  heavens  fall,  was  rapidly 


272  The  Dominant  Chord 

overshadowing  and  replacing  her  desire  for 
freedom,  and  her  satisfaction  in  the  pro- 
spective hmnbling  of  her  captor. 

By  the  time  the  Sampson  had  crawled  np 
to  within  an  eighth  of  a  mile,  she  could  stand 
the  pressure  no  longer.  Turning  to  Craig 
with  clenched  hands,  and  eyes  flashing  with 
excitement,  she  cried,  '*  Why  don't  you  do 
something?  Can't  you  do  anything?  They 
are  beating  us,  and  I  do  hate  to  be  beaten." 

Craig  laughed  outright  at  this  character- 
istic change  of  front.  **  Why,  I  thought  you 
were  enjoying  the  prospect  of  seeing  me 
roped,  thrown  and  branded!  '* 

"I  was!  I  was!  But  this  is  different! 
This  is  a  race,  and  I  do  hate  to  lose !  I  can- 
not help  it.  It  is  temperamental.  It  was 
bom  in  me." 

"  I  hate  to  lose,  too,"  replied  Craig 
shortly. 

He  turned  again  to  his  controller,  and  for 
a  few  moments  the  Sabine  seemed  to  hold 
her  own.  The  automatic  indicator  showed 
forty-four  and  five-eighths  knots,  but  the  jets 
of  oil  fuel  were  beginning  to  get  in  their 


A  Surprise  and  a  Race  273 

work  under  the  boilers  of  the  destroyer,  and 
she  soon  began  to  gain  again.  Slowly,  inch 
by  inch,  the  flying  foam-flecked  prow  crept 
forward  until  it  began  to  lap  the  stern  of  the 
struggling  motor  boat.  Everything  on  both 
vessels  was  now  distinctly  visible.  The  lit- 
tle group  of  officers  on  the  bridge  watched 
the  chase,  alert  but  impassive.  The  crew  lay 
along  the  rail  excited,  but  confident  wit- 
nesses of  the  struggle. 

As  the  bows  of  the  destroyer  began  to 
overlap  the  stern,  Alice  turned  to  Craig  with 
a  tense  whisper,  —  *  *  They  are  going  to 
catch  us!    We  will  have  to  submerge." 

Craig  gave  her  one  quick,  curious  glance, 
and  then  stepped  from  the  shelter  of  the 
chart  house  out  on  to  the  deck. 

**  Hello,  Burrill!  "  he  hailed,  "  how  are 
you?  " 

The  short,  thick- set  officer  with  the  lieu- 
tenant commander's  patch  on  his  collar, 
started  slightly. 

''Craig!  By  all  that's  holy!  Well,  I'll 
be  — !    What  the  devil  does  all  this  mean?  " 

**  What    are    you    doing    heref  "    asked 


274  The  Dominant  Chord 

Craig,  coolly,  ignoring  the  other's  question. 
**  Haven't  seen  you  since  we  were  together 
on  the  Isthmus." 

'*  What  am  I  doing  here!  Well,  you  ought 
to  know  if  anyone  should.  You  have  stirred 
up  a  pretty  kettle  of  fish,  I  can  tell  you.  The 
whole  torpedo  flotilla  of  the  Atlantic  fleet  is 
looking  for  you.  The  first  and  second  cruiser 
squadrons  are  patrolling  the  passages  of  the 
islands,  and  the  scouts  have  worked  as  far 
south  as  Eio." 

"  Glad  to  know  it.  I'll  be  on  the  lookout 
for  them." 

**  Oh,  I  guess  you  won't  have  to  bother. 
We'U  attend  to  that  part  of  it  for  you.  Well, 
I  never  thought  that  you  would  turn  out 
a  gay  Lothario." 

**  I  haven't.  Simply  a  case  of  scientific 
research  for  the  advancement  of  the  race." 

Burrill  laughed.  **  Well,  I  hope  for  your 
sake  you  will  be  able  to  convince  pater  fa- 
milias  and  the  prosecuting  attorney  of  that 
fact.  But  come,  shut  off  your  power;  the 
jig  is  up." 

**  How  so?  " 


A  Surprise  and  a  Race  275 

''  '  How  so?  '  Why,  we've  caught  you, 
haven't  wel  " 

"  You  have  caught  up  with  us,  sure;  but 
what  are  you  going  to  do  about  it?  You 
can't  board  us  going  at  this  rate  of  speed." 

The  truth  of  Craig's  remark  was  obvious. 
The  two  boats  were  running  along  side  by 
side  not  twenty  feet  apart,  but  the  slightest 
touch  of  the  helm  of  either  would  put  yards 
between  them  in  an  instant. 

**  Come!  come!  "  cried  the  lieutenant  im- 
patiently. "  This  is  rank  nonsense.  You 
don't  want  to  force  me  to  extreme  measures, 
do  you?  We  will  try  and  let  you  down  as 
easily  as  possible.  The  lady  has  been  well 
treated,  hasn't  she?  '* 

^'  To  the  extent  of  my  ability." 

"  Well,  then,  the  thing  can  be  fixed  up 
some  way,  I  guess.  But  heave  to.  It's  no 
use  resisting  any  longer. ' ' 

"  Well,  I  guess  you'll  have  to  show  me," 
replied  Craig. 

*'  Do  you  mean  to  say  that  you  refuse  to 
surrender?  "  shouted  the  exasperated  officer. 

"  I  guess  that's  about  the  size  of  it." 


276  The  Dominant  Chord 

''Well,  d—  a  fool  I  "  muttered  Burrill 
imder  his  breath,  as  he  turned  from  the  end 
of  the  bridge.  But  as  he  faced  his  second 
in  command,  all  trace  of  annoyance  vanished, 
and  he  was  again  the  calm,  alert,  impassive 
commander  that  reputation  depicted  him. 

**  Mr.  Murray,  pass  the  word  to  pipe  to 
quarters,  and  send  Morgan  here.  Stand  by 
to  hoist  out  the  whale  boat,  and  have  the 
crew  ready. ' ' 

At  the  first  pipe  of  the  boatswain's  whis- 
tle, the  crew  sprang  with  alacrity  to  their 
stations,  and  the  order,  "  Cast  loose  and 
provide!  "  sent  them  scurrying  after  the 
various  implements  of  their  deadly  trade. 

'*  Never  mind  those  one  pounders,  Mur- 
ray. I  guess  Bat  Nelson  will  be  all  we'll 
need  for  this  business." 

The  canvas  tarpaulin  was  quickly  stripped 
off  the  long,  lean,  three-inch  rifle,  which  was 
mounted  on  the  roof  of  the  conning  tower, 
and  the  whale  boat  was  hoisted  out  on  the 
davits  and  held  ready  to  drop  into  the  water. 

"  Where '11  I  plug  himf  "  asked  Morgan, 
the  leather-faced  gunner's  mate,  as  he  swung 


A  Surprise  and  a  Race  277 

the  breech  of  his  pet  to  starboard,  and  rolled 
his  quid  to  the  opposite  cheek. 

"  Take  him  on  the  waterline  amidships. 
You're  sure  that's  solid  shot?  "We  don't 
want  any  shell  in  this  business,"  said  the 
lieutenant,  and  then  shouted  to  Craig: 
**  Once  more,  and  for  the  last  time.  Will 
you  stop?    I'm  thoroughly  in  earnest." 

''  I  guess  I'll  have  to  take  a  chance,"  re- 
plied Craig,  as  he  withdrew  to  the  shelter 
of  the  pilot  house. 

**  Well,  d — n  it,  you  brought  it  on  your- 
self.   Give  it  to  him,  Morgan!  " 

There  was  a  flash  and  a  roar,  and  a  thin 
volume  of  smoke  drifted  away  and  dissolved 
to  leeward. 

The  Sabine  shivered  and  trembled  in  all 
her  parts  as  the  heavy  projectile  struck 
within  an  inch  of  her  waterline,  and  then 
an  extraordinary  thing  happened.  A  large, 
deep,  saucer-shaped  depression  appeared  for 
an  instant  in  the  smooth,  rounding  side  of  the 
hull,  as  though  a  baseball  had  been  thrown 
against  the  bellying  fold  of  a  sail,  and  then 
—  the  dent  smoothed  itself  out,  the  heavy 


278  The  Dominant  Chord 

shot  was  stopped  and  deflected  into  the 
water,  and  the  place  was  as  before.  Three 
seconds  after  the  report,  except  for  a  dark 
smudge  on  her  smooth,  white  side,  the  on- 
lookers could  not  have  told  where  the  shot 
had  struck. 

The  amazement  on  board  the  destroyer 
can  better  be  imagined  than  described;  but 
Craig  gave  them  no  time  to  recover.  As  if 
the  impact  of  the  projectile  had  been  the  sig- 
nal for  her  to  uncoil  her  latent  energies,  the 
Sabine  sprang  forward,  as  if  she  would  leap 
from  the  water  and  mount  into  the  air.  Her 
stem  tore  through  the  brine  with  a  sound  as 
of  ripping  fabric,  and  a  boiling,  seething 
caldron  sprang  to  life  under  her  taffrail. 
The  indicator  in  the  chart  house  ran  up  to 
sixty,  and  trembled  there  as  if  it  were  going 
higher. 

**  Cast  loose  those  one  pounders,  boys,  and 
see  if  you  can  break  up  his  propellers!  " 
roared  Burrill.  '*  Lively,  lads,  he*s  getting 
away  from  us.    Be  careful  where  you  shoot.** 

But  it  was  too  late.  Before  the  guns  could 
be  served  and  pointed,  the  Sabine  had  placed 


A  Surprise  and  a  Race  279 

yards  of  open  water  between  her  and  her 
pursuer.  In  less  than  a  minute  she  had 
opened  up  a  lead  of  a  quarter  of  a  mile,  and 
was  going  like  a  flash  of  light.  In  half  an 
hour  the  destroyer  was  over  seven  miles 
astern,  and  had  given  up  the  chase. 

**  Well,"  said  Craig,  with  a  grim  smile,  as 
he  slowed  the  yacht  down  to  her  normal  rate 
of  speed,  "  you  say  you  hate  to  be  beaten; 
are  you  satisfied?  " 

"  No,"  replied  Alice  testily.  **  I  am  not 
satisfied,  and  I  think  it  is  perfectly  detesta- 
ble in  you  to  remind  me  of  it." 


CHAPTER   XXn 

AT   WAB   WITH   HEESELP 

The  advent  of  the  torpedo  boat  destroyer 
produced  a  sudden  and  unlooked-for  change 
in  the  life  on  board  the  Sabine.  After  the 
excitement  of  the  chase  had  subsided,  and 
affairs  had  once  more  resumed  their  normal 
serenity,  Alice  was  seized  with  one  of  those 
sudden  revulsions  of  feeling  which  were 
characteristic  of  her  impulsive  and  highly 
strung  temperament. 

Now  that  she  had  leisure  to  think  it  over 
calmly,  she  was  amazed  at  her  own  conduct 
and  the  motives  that  had  actuated  her.  Not 
only  had  she  failed  to  make  the  slightest 
effort  to  aid  her  would-be  rescuers,  but 
worse,  far  worse  than  that,  she  had  openly 
sided  with  and  supported  Craig  in  his  efforts 
to  escape.  Hot  anger  rose  within  her  at  the 
thought. 

Craig  first  became  aware  that  there  had 
280 


At  War  with  Herself  281 

been  a  change  in  the  atmosphere  when  he 
found  a  brief  note  from  her  on  the  table  of 
the  saloon,  informing  him  that  she  would 
dine  in  her  own  apartments  that  evening. 
This  table  had  become  their  post-ofl&ce  and 
line  of  communication  during  their  periods 
of  acute  belligerency,  and  when  Craig  saw 
her  note  lying  there  he  knew  at  once  that 
active  war  had  once  more  been  declared. 

Now  that  their  retreat  had  been  discov- 
ered, return  to  the  island  was,  of  course,  out 
of  the  question,  so  Craig  bowed  his  head  to 
the  tempest,  thinking  the  storm  would  soon 
blow  over,  and  once  more  headed  the  Sabine 
southward.  But  the  morrow  brought  no 
change  in  the  situation,  and  when,  on  the  sec- 
ond day,  his  capricious  and  incomprehensi- 
ble lady  still  failed  to  appear,  he  began  to  be 
seriously  alarmed.  When  the  third  day  had 
passed  without  eliciting  any  signs  of  relent- 
ing from  the  occupant  of  the  starboard  quar- 
ters, he  hastened  to  extend  the  olive  branch. 

On  the  saloon  table  he  left  a  courteous 
note  for  her,  saying  that  he  was  going  to  try 
some  very  interesting   experiments  in  the 


282  The  Dominant  Chord 

laboratory  on  the  following  morning,  and 
asking  her  if  she  did  not  wish  to  be  present. 
In  reply  he  received  a  curt  missive,  saying 
that  she  was  not  at  present  interested  in 
experiments  and  that  she  wished,  nay,  she 
demanded  to  be  allowed  to  return  immedi- 
ately  to  New  York. 

Craig  replied  that  she  could  return  to  New 
York  at  any  time  whenever  she  was  ready 
to  comply  with  the  conditions,  —  and  the 
battle  was  on. 

Had  Craig  realized  the  desperate  nature 
of  the  struggle  that  was  going  on  within  the 
confines  of  the  starboard  cabin,  he  would 
have  thrown  aside  his  depression  and  taken 
heart.  Had  he  known  that  pride,  and  the 
love  he  had  so  long  striven  to  awaken,  were 
at  last  in  arms,  and,  with  all  pretence  of  con- 
cealment cast  aside,  were  locked  in  a  fierce 
death  struggle,  he  would  have  girded  up  his 
loins  for  the  last  assault,  which  would  have 
swept  all  before  it  and  left  him  master  of 
the  citadel.  But  being  a  man,  a  man  of  ac- 
tion, unused  to  feminine  society,  a  man  of 
the  wilderness  and  of  the  waste  places,  and 


At  War  with  Herself  283 

uninstructed  in  the  various  and  intricate 
ramifications  of  a  woman's  heart,  he  could 
not  know  that  Alice,  her  back  to  the  wall, 
was  fighting  her  last  desperate  fight  against 
the  insidious  and  insurgent  forces  that  had 
long  been  gathering  headway  within  her  en- 
trenchments; those  dominant,  primitive  im- 
pulses of  the  eternal  feminine  which  were 
undermining  her  defences,  and  sweeping 
away  the  barriers  she  had  raised  against 
him;  those  first,  green  spikes  and  spear- 
heads of  passion  which  were  forcing  their 
way  up  through  the  cold,  dark  mould  of  her 
heart,  insignant  of  the  harvest  which  was  to 
come. 

Day  after  day  passed  without  bringing 
any  change  in  the  situation.  Day  after  day 
the  Sabine  held  her  course  steadily  south- 
ward, skirting  the  lower  littoral  of  the  Span- 
ish main.  At  times  the  shore  loomed  dimly 
like  a  dark  blue  cloud  upon  the  distant  hori- 
zon. At  others  they  would  close  in,  and  for 
hours  run  along  the  beach  so  near  that  Alice 
could  see  the  surf  thundering  upon  the 
reefs,  and  the  dense,  dark  forests  of  cedar 


284  The  Dominant  Chord 

and  mahogany  stretching  inland  for  miles 
towards  the  faint  blue  haze  which  marked 
the  distant  peaks  of  the  Cordillera. 

As  they  approached  the  equator  the  heat 
became  more  intense,  but  the  compressors 
of  the  liquid  air  plant  always  kept  the  tem- 
perature below  decks  cool  and  inviting, 
while  the  speed  at  which  the  Sahine  trav- 
elled always  insinuated  a  breeze  beneath  the 
awnings  on  deck. 

Alice  kept  to  her  cabin  until  Craig,  seeing 
that  she  was  determined  to  avoid  him,  bur- 
ied himself  in  his  laboratory  and  work  rooms 
for  long  hours,  in  order  to  allow  her  the 
freedom  of  the  deck  undisturbed.  Occasion- 
ally at  night  he  would  come  up,  listless  and 
heavy-eyed  from  his  work,  to  find  her  lean- 
ing over  the  rail  gazing  wistfully  through 
the  darkness  towards  the  distant  coast,  but 
at  the  first  sound  of  his  approach  she  would 
glide  like  a  spectre  along  the  opposite  side 
of  the  deck  and  disappear  down  the  compan- 
ionway,  leaving  him  with  set  teeth  and 
clenched  hands,  rebellious,  impotent,  help- 
less. 


At  War  with  Herself  285 

A  hundred  times  he  was  on  the  point  of 
turning  the  steering  arrow  northward  and 
giving  up  the  struggle;  a  hundred  times  he 
would  set  his  teeth  and  return  to  his  en- 
trenchments. 

Lying  within  the  heavy  hangings  of  her 
big  white  ivory  bed,  Alice  far  into  the  small 
hours  of  the  night  could  hear  his  footsteps 
on  the  deck  above  going  up  and  down,  up  and 
down,  knocking,  knocking,  tapping  at  every 
door  and  portal  of  her  heart,  crying  in  their 
silent,  inarticulate  voices,  **  I  love  you!  I 
love  you!    Let  me  in.    I  love  you!" 

Throwing  aside  the  coverings  she  would 
lie  for  hours,  stark  and  rigid,  the  alabas- 
ter whiteness  of  her  form  gleaming  through 
the  darkness  like  the  sculptured  marble  of  a 
reclining  Aphrodite  hidden  away  in  the 
dusky  recesses  of  some  pagan  temple,  while 
above  her  the  insistent,  incessant  footfalls 
went  back  and  forth. 

If,  after  hours  of  struggling  with  her 
problem,  she  pushed  it  aside  and  tried  to 
interest  herself  in  a  book,  before  she  knew  it 
Craig's  clean-cut,   serious  face  and  grave, 


286  The  Dominant  Chord 

gray  eyes  would  be  looking  up  at  her  from 
out  the  printed  page,  and  she  would  cast 
aside  the  volume  in  disgust  and  pace  up  and 
down  the  narrow  space  of  her  library  like  a 
caged  wild  thing. 

**  If  he  only  had  one  human  weakness  I 
might  love  him,"  her  spirit  would  cry,  "  but 
how  can  I  love  a  demigod,  a  superior  being 
who  thwarts  me  at  every  turn,  and  mocks  me 
with  his  cold  and  cynical  superiority!  If 
I  could  only  crush  him,  humiliate  him,  prove 
to  him  that  in  some  one  thing  I  was  his  equal, 
his  superior,  I  might  relent,  but  I  cannot,  I 
cannot,  oh,  I  cannot!  " 

And  Craig,  catching  sight  of  her  white, 
drawn  face  and  the  smouldering  fire  in  her 
big,  brown,  haunting  eyes,  as  she  glided 
through  the  saloon  or  flitted  down  the  com- 
panionway,  would  curse  himself  and  grow 
thin  and  haggard  over  his  drawing  board. 

At  times  the  sound  of  his  violin  would  come 
faint  and  muffled  to  her  ear  from  the  inner 
recesses  of  his  apartments ;  sobbing,  wailing, 
commanding  her,  luring  her  with  the  spell 
of  the  East,  seducing  her  ears  with  love 


At  War  with  Herself  287 

songs  of  the  Levant,  and  the  passion  of 
Spanish  lutes  'neath  latticed  windows,  draw- 
ing the  awakening  soul  out  of  her  with  its 
swaying,  sensuous  appeal,  drawing,  draw- 
ing, ever  drawing,  until,  springing  up,  she 
would  thrust  her  fingers  into  her  ears  and 
fly  to  the  farthest  recesses  of  her  grotto, 
throwing  her  arms  around  its  basalt  col- 
umns, as  if  she  feared  that  yearning  cry 
would  draw  her  bodily  even  from  this  inner 
sanctuary. 

At  times  she  would  find  her  thoughts  wan- 
dering through  different  episodes  of  her  cap- 
tivity. She  recalled  the  first  sweet  stab  of 
pain  at  her  heart  as  she  felt  his  burning  lips 
pressed  upon  hers ;  the  electric  thrill,  which 
had  galvanized  her  body  when  his  strong 
arms  had  closed  around  it  that  day  on  the 
island  when  he  had  carried  her  off  a  captive 
in  the  face  of  her  would-be  rescuers;  that 
first  dim  consciousness  of  an  impending 
something  that  morning  when,  beneath  the 
sea,  they  had  stood  together  in  the  gloom 
of  the  chart  house,  and  her  awakening  spirit 
had  taken  alarm  at  —  what  she  did  not  know. 


288  The  Dominant  Chord 

Certainly  no  other  man  who  had  ever  en- 
tered her  life  had  made  her  feel  these  things. 

Her  old  life  back  in  New  York,  with  its 
trivialities  and  inconsequentialities,  its  os- 
tentatious setting  and  artificial  emotions, 
seemed  infinitely  remote  and  unreal  to  her 
in  the  face  of  this  vital,  pulsating,  primitive 
struggle  she  was  making  to  retain  her  domi- 
nance and  individuality. 

The  more  she  acknowledged  Craig's  power 
and  influence  over  her,  the  more  she  hated 
him  for  it,  and  ever  in  her  thoughts  were 
running  his  words,  **  The  strongest  thing 
will  win."  Yes,  in  the  end  the  strongest 
thing  would  win,  but  what  was  the  strongest 
thing,  love  or  pride?  And  Craig,  buried  in 
his  laboratory,  consuming  great  quantities 
of  tobacco,  grew  pale  and  thin  and  hollow- 
eyed,  and  wondered  when  and  how  it  would 
end. 


CHAPTER   XXm 

A   IXESPEEATE   STRUGGLE 

One  morning  Alice  ascended  unexpectedly 
to  the  deck.  It  was  at  the  hour  when  Craig 
was  usually  busy  in  the  laboratory,  and  she 
wanted  to  get  a  breath  of  air  before  the  heat 
of  the  day  set  in;  but  on  reaching  the  chart 
house  she  saw  that  he  had  evidently  been 
before  her.  Apparently  he  was  engaged  in 
one  of  his  experiments,  for  one  of  the  small 
spherical  tide  motors  was  lying  on  the  fore- 
castle deck,  together  with  the  cable  and 
heavy  mushroom  anchor  which  he  used  to 
attach  them  to  the  bottom.  Of  Craig  himself 
she  could  see  nothing,  until  raising  her  eyes 
she  discovered  him  disporting  himself  in  the 
water  about  a  hundred  yards  ahead  of  the 
motionless  yacht.  He  was  evidently  enjoy- 
ing himself  to  the  utmost,  for  he  swam  and 
dived  and  performed  various  tricks  and  evo- 
lutions with  all  the  joyous  abandon  of  a 
289 


290  The  Dominant  Chord 

schoolboy  playing  truant  at  his  favourite 
swimming  hole. 

Alice  stood  for  a  moment  within  the  shel- 
ter of  the  chart  house  watching  him,  and 
secretly  exulting  in  the  skill  and  grace  with 
which  he  performed  the  most  difficult  feats. 
Unquestionably  whatever  he  did,  he  did  well. 
She  had  to  admit  that. 

As  she  stood  there  watching  she  saw 
Craig  suddenly  raise  himself  high  out  of  the 
water,  and  then,  turning,  strike  out  for  the 
yacht  with  quick,  powerful  strokes  which 
seemed  to  lift  his  body  almost  out  of  the 
heavier  element.  Looking  beyond  him  Alice 
quickly  discovered  the  cause  of  this  sudden 
accession  of  haste.  About  four  cables '  lengths 
distant  a  dark  triangular  fin  was  cutting  the 
water  at  an  amazing  rate  of  speed,  and  at 
times,  as  it  sheered  through  the  crest  of  a 
wave,  she  caught  a  glimpse  of  a  long,  shad- 
owy, grayish  body  beneath  it.  It  was  the 
great  white  shark  —  Carcharondon  Carcha- 
rias  —  that  terror  of  the  seas,  that  scourge 
of  the  open  ocean,  the  most  dangerous  and 
most  dreaded  of  all  the  pelagic  carnivora. 


A  Desperate  Struggle  291 

Craig  evidently  knew  his  peril,  for,  with 
head  and  shoulders  buried  in  the  brine,  he 
was  devouring  the  yards  which  separated  him 
from  the  Sabine  with  all  the  desperate  en- 
ergy of  a  man  in  deadly  need  of  haste.  The 
Australian  crawl  stroke  is  phenomenal  in  its 
speed,  but  human  powers  of  aquatic  locomo- 
tion are  as  nothing  when  matched  against 
the  powerful  propelling  caudal  fin  with  which 
nature  has  equipped  the  larger  members  of 
the  shark  family. 

Before  Craig  had  covered  half  the  dis- 
tance which  separated  him  from  the  yacht, 
the  huge  man-eater  was  upon  him.  Seeing 
that  it  was  impossible  to  reach  the  gangway 
in  time,  Craig  stopped  swimming,  and,  tread- 
ing water,  turned  to  face  his  adversary,  and 
Alice  saw  that  he  held  in  his  teeth  the  long 
Japanese  knife  which  had  played  such  an 
important  part  in  their  early  acquaintance. 
The  excitement  of  the  moment  had  drawn 
her  from  the  chart  house  out  upon  the  fore- 
castle deck,  where,  rigid  with  terror,  she 
stood  clinging  to  the  rail  and  watching  this 
death  duel  between  the  man  and  the  fish. 


292  The  Dominant  Chord 

The  shark,  having  brought  its  quarry  to 
bay,  seemed  in  no  hurry  to  attack,  but  circled 
around  like  a  boxer,  sizing  up  its  adversary 
before  opening  hostilities.  Craig,  while  con- 
stantly facing  his  opponent,  took  full  advan- 
tage of  all  these  feints  and  circlings  to  lessen 
the  distance  which  separated  him  from  the 
gangway  ladder.  The  shark,  in  spite  of  its 
threatening  and  formidable  appearance, 
seemed  to  hesitate  to  attack.  Apparently  it 
was  uncertain  as  to  what  manner  of  mammal 
it  was  that  had  so  rashly  invaded  its  do- 
main. Its  hesitation  was  soon  over,  how- 
ever, and  with  a  sweep  of  its  tail,  it  darted 
in,  at  the  same  time  turning  on  its  side  to 
expose  its  triple  row  of  cruel  serrated  teeth. 

As  the  shark  swept  down  on  him,  Craig 
raised  his  body  out  of  the  water,  at  the  same 
time  throwing  himself  to  one  side,  and  as 
the  huge  bulk  of  the  fish  surged  by  him,  the 
knife  flashed.  In  an  instant  the  sea  was 
stained  with  a  thin  but  ever-widening  streak 
of  crimson.  With  a  tremendous  sweep  of  its 
tail,  the  shark  sheered  off  and  circled  again 
to  the  attack,  while  Craig  seized  upon  the 


A  Desperate  Struggle  293 

momentary  diversion  to  shorten  his  distance 
from  the  gangway.  Again  the  two  faced 
each  other,  and  again,  after  a  moment  of 
feinting,  the  shark  dashed  in  to  finish  its 
prey;  but  Craig,  throwing  his  arms  over 
his  head,  sank  beneath  the  surface,  and  as 
the  yellowish  white  mass  of  the  belly  passed 
over  him,  the  dagger  again  drank  deep.  The 
wound  was  not  an  immediately  fatal  one, 
however,  and  lashing  the  water  into  foam, 
the  great  fish  circled  and  charged  once  more. 
For  the  third  time  Craig  faced  it  resolutely, 
but  Alice  could  see  that  he  was  breathing 
hard,  and  was  evidently  much  spent  by  the 
tremendous  exertions  he  had  been  making. 

Maddened  by  the  pain  of  its  wounds  and 
enraged  at  being  twice  foiled  of  its  prey,  the 
shark  wasted  no  time  in  preliminaries. 
With  its  cruel  jaws  open,  and  its  wicked 
little  eyes  glowing  with  hate  and  fury,  it 
bore  down  upon  its  weakened  adversary  as 
if  it  would  overwhelm  him  by  sheer  weight 
and  bulk.  Craig  watched  it  narrowly,  pale 
but  determined.  As  it  turned  on  its  side, 
he  suddenly  leaned  forward  and  struck  with 


294  The  Dominant  Chord 

all  his  might  at  the  soft,  round  spot  just  back 
of  the  gill  openings,  at  the  same  time  throw- 
ing his  body  to  one  side;  but  either  he  had 
miscalculated  the  distance,  or  his  failing 
strength  had  not  been  equal  to  the  task. 
Alice  heard  the  terrible  triple-armed  jaws 
close  with  a  snap,  and,  in  an  instant,  the 
man's  thigh  was  torn  open  from  hip  to  knee, 
while  the  knife,  catching  in  the  hard,  bony 
substance  of  the  jaw,  was  twisted  from  his 
grasp  and  sank  to  the  bottom. 

The  evolutions  of  the  combatants  had  by 
this  time  transferred  the  field  of  action  to 
a  point  directly  under  the  bows  of  the  Sa- 
bine. Craig,  weakened,  wounded  and  dis- 
armed, and  seeing  that  his  only  chance  of 
escape  lay  in  reaching  the  gangway  ladder 
before  the  fish  could  renew  the  attack,  was 
swimming  desperately  with  the  remainder 
of  his  strength  along  the  side  of  the  yacht 
directly  beneath  her.  The  shark  seemed  to 
know  that  at  last  its  prey  was  completely  at 
its  mercy.  Circling  leisurely  and  swimming 
up  behind,  it  opened  its  jaws  for  the  final 
snap  which  would  divide  its  victim's  body  as 


A  Desperate  Struggle  295 

easily  as  a  minnow  is  severed  in  the  jaws  of 
a  pike. 

It  was  at  this  critical  instant  that  the  ten- 
sion of  excitement  and  terror  which  had  held 
Alice  a  silent,  rigid  spectator  of  the  battle 
suddenly  snapped.  From  a  petrified  and 
passive  onlooker  she  at  once  became  a  vig- 
orous, desperate  actor  in  the  scene.  With 
an  accession  of  strength  utterly  impossible 
to  her  under  ordinary  conditions,  she  seized 
the  great  weight  of  the  mushroom  anchor, 
and  hurled  it  over  the  side  just  as  Craig 
turned  his  head  and  smiled  up  at  her  a  last 
white-lipped  good-bye. 

Her  aim  must  have  been  certainly  directed 
by  Providence,  for,  just  as  the  cruel  jaws 
were  about  to  close,  the  descending  mass 
struck  the  shark  on  the  skull  just  back  of  the 
eyes,  forcing  its  head  down  into  the  water 
and  momentarily  stunning  it.  Before  it 
could  recover  itself,  Craig,  covered  with 
blood,  had  reached  the  ladder,  dragged  him- 
self to  the  deck  and  dropped  unconscious  at 
her  feet. 


CHAPTER   XXIV 

IN   THE   WATCHES   OF   THE    NIGHT 

In  the  days  that  followed  Alice  never 
ceased  to  bless  the  wisdom  and  foresight 
which  had  caused  her  father  to  prescribe  for 
her  a  course  of  nursing  in  the  emergency 
ward  of  the  great  hospital  of  the  Magdalene. 
When  she  beheld  Craig  lying  inert  and  ap- 
parently lifeless  at  her  feet,  the  blood  pour- 
ing from  the  innumerable  wounds  in  his 
torn  and  lacerated  thigh,  her  first  impulse 
was  the  purely  feminine  one  to  swoon  and 
sink  into  a  heap,  but  the  necessity  for  im- 
mediate action  steeled  her  nerves  against  the 
insidious  weakness  of  her  sex,  and  the  mo- 
ment of  crisis  found  the  Huntington  spirit, 
that  grim,  uncompromising  determination  to 
do  or  die,  which  was  ingrained  in  her  nature, 
in  arms,  and  ready  to  grapple  with  the  emer- 
gency. 

Running  below  to  the  medicine  cabinet, 
296 


In  the  Watches  of  the  Night       297 

she  quickly  returned  with  lint,  bandages  and 
instruments.  First  cutting  away  the  light 
bathing  suit  which  Craig  wore,  she  hurriedly 
applied  a  tourniquet  to  the  main  artery  to 
check  the  bleeding,  then,  washing  out  the 
wounds  carefully  with  an  antiseptic  solu- 
tion, which  she  had  hurriedly  prepared,  she 
drew  together  the  jagged  edges  of  the 
wounds  with  quick,  deft  stitches.  The  lacer- 
ations were  not  deep,  the  jaws  having  barely 
grazed  the  limb,  but  the  razor-edged,  tri- 
angular teeth  had  torn  and  mutilated  the 
flesh  in  a  horrible  manner,  and  the  loss  of 
blood  had  been  great. 

Having  done  all  she  could  to  close  the 
openings,  Alice  dressed  the  wounds,  wrap- 
ping layer  upon  layer  of  linen  bandages 
tightly  around  them,  turning  the  rolls  in  her 
hand,  as  she  had  been  taught,  to  make  the 
folds  lie  close  and  even.  Her  next  task  was 
to  get  Craig  below  and  into  his  berth.  Ex- 
erting her  superb  young  strength  to  the 
utmost,  she  dragged  him  into  the  chart  house 
and  down  the  stairs,  and  at  last  succeeded  in 
getting  him  into  the  simple,  white  iron  cot 


298  The  Dominant  Chord 

he  was  accustomed  to  sleep  in,  which  Alice, 
in  spite  of  her  distress  and  anxiety,  could 
not  but  mentally  contrast  with  the  luxurious 
bed  on  which  she  was  accustomed  to  repose. 

Making  her  patient  as  comfortable  as  pos- 
sible, Alice  next  ascended  to  the  deck  to  note 
the  position  of  the  yacht.  The  shark,  the 
cause  of  all  the  trouble,  she  found  floating 
on  its  back  alongside,  two  long,  gaping 
wounds  in  its  belly  showing  the  vents  through 
which  its  tremendous  vitality  had  at  last 
ebbed  away. 

The  Sabine  was  lying  quietly  in  the  trough 
of  the  long  swells,  the  gyrostats  steadying 
her  against  the  rolling  motion.  The  knob  of 
the  speed  controller  was  in  the  neutral  notch, 
but  on  sliding  it  back  along  the  bar  the  yacht 
failed  to  respond.  Craig,  before  going  over- 
board, had  evidently  taken  the  precaution  to 
disconnect  the  controlling  mechanism,  at 
some  point  which  she  could  not  discover. 
She  touched  the  button  which  illuminated 
the  telautographic  chart,  and  saw  that  the 
luminous  pointer  indicated  their  position  to 
be  approximately  some  two  hundred  miles 


In  the  Watches  of  the  Night       299 

northeast  of  the  mouth  of  the  Amazon.  As 
the  motive  power  was  evidently  crippled 
beyond  her  ability  to  repair,  there  was  noth- 
ing she  could  do  but  let  the  yacht  drift  at 
the  mercy  of  the  winds  and  waves.  As  long 
as  the  sea  remained  calm  they  were  in  no 
immediate  danger,  but  if  it  should  come  on 
to  blow,  Alice  wondered  vaguely  what  would 
become  of  them.  Happily  the  weather  was 
fair  and  showed  every  indication  of  remain- 
ing so. 

On  returning  below,  Alice  found  that  Craig 
had  recovered  consciousness.  He  was  evi- 
dently suffering  severely  from  the  pain  of 
his  injuries,  for  the  beads  of  moisture  were 
standing  out  thickly  upon  his  forehead,  and 
his  lips  were  white  and  drawn.  He  seemed 
not  to  recognize  her,  but  stared  intently  up 
at  the  ceiling  with  wrinkled  brows,  as  if 
absorbed  in  the  solution  of  some  intricate 
mental  problem,  and  there  was  a  wild,  un- 
natural gleam  in  his  eyes  that  Alice  did  not 
like.  Smoothing  his  pillow  with  a  deftness 
of  touch  which  is  the  exclusive  property  of 
the    loving    woman,    and    which    even    the 


300  The  Dominant  Chord 

trained  nurse  cannot  hope  to  acquire,  she 
made  a  hasty  examination  of  the  bandages 
to  see  if  the  bleeding  had  been  effectually 
checked,  and  then  went  forward  into  the  gal- 
ley to  prepare  some  nourishment  for  her 
patient.  She  was  interrupted  in  this  task 
by  the  sound  of  the  cathedral  bells  of  the 
detector,  and  on  going  on  deck  found  that 
one  of  the  submarine  torpedoes,  which  con- 
stituted their  supply  train  and  linked  them 
to  civilization,  was  floating  alongside. 

Starting  the  motor  which  operated  the 
electric  crane,  she  soon  had  the  long,  pol- 
ished cylinder  hoisted  on  board  and  lowered 
through  the  sliding  hatch  into  the  storeroom, 
as  she  had  seen  Craig  do  many  times  before. 
On  opening  it  she  found  several  freshly 
killed  chickens  in  the  refrigerating  compart- 
ment. These  were  just  what  she  needed,  and 
she  soon  had  two  of  them  over  one  of  the 
electric  stoves,  reducing  them  to  a  thick  and 
nutritious  jelly. 

On  returning  to  her  patient  after  comple- 
ting this  task,  she  found  a  decided  change  for 
the  worse.    Craig  was  in  a  high  fever,  toss- 


In  the  Watches  of  the  Night       301 

ing  and  turning  and  muttering  incoherently 
to  himself,  and  seemed  to  be  absolutely  un- 
conscious of  his  surroundings, 

Alice  was  seriously  alarmed.  To  be  im- 
prisoned upon  a  disabled  craft  in  the  middle 
of  the  ocean  with,  as  sole  companion,  a  man 
gripped  in  the  throes  of  fever  and  delirium, 
was  a  prospect  to  daunt  even  the  stoutest 
heart.  The  sole  expedient  her  training  sug- 
gested was  to  allay  the  pain  by  a  hypodermic 
injection  of  morphine.  While  the  drug  was 
working  she  secured  some  stout  strips  of 
canvas  from  the  storeroom.  These  she  eye- 
leted and  fitted  with  stout  rings,  and  when 
they  were  securely  laced  to  Craig's  arms 
above  the  elbow,  and  to  his  ankles,  and 
straps  run  through  them  down  to  the  side 
rods  of  the  bed,  where  she  could  tighten 
them  at  need,  she  felt  relieved  and  more  pre- 
pared to  meet  whatever  emergency  might 
arise. 

As  night  approached  Craig's  fever  and 
delirium  increased,  and  by  the  time  the  ef- 
fects of  the  morphine  had  worn  off,  he  was 
tugging  and  straining  at  his  bonds,  while  the 


302  The  Dominant  Chord 

little  red  heat  devils  danced  their  mad  ma- 
zurkas through  his  beclouded  brain.  At 
times  he  would  straighten  up  to  the  limits 
of  his  straps,  and  address  her  in  words  of 
the  most  burning,  passionate  love,  only  to 
trail  off  into  a  jumble  of  formulas,  stresses, 
strains,  bending  moments,  spherical  harmon- 
ics, and  all  the  imintelligible  jargon  of 
higher  mathematics.  At  one  moment  he 
would  be  fighting  desperately  for  her  single- 
handed  against  bands  of  cutthroats  and 
pirates,  and  in  the  next  he  would  be  strug- 
gling through  the  frost-bound  Labrador 
wilds,  drawn  by  the  lure  of  a  siren  sound 
that  spelled  power,  power,  unlimited  power. 

He  went  over  the  story  of  her  abduction, 
and  the  motives  that  led  up  to  it,  in  com- 
pleteness and  detail,  setting  forth  each  thing 
in  its  order  as  a  tale  that  had  to  be  told ;  and 
Alice,  as  she  listened,  gained  a  new  and 
illuminating  insight  into  the  tremendous 
power  of  the  passion  she  was  combating. 

During  his  quieter  moments  she  would 
readjust  his  bandages  and  take  his  temper- 
ature.   Hour  after  hour  she  sat  there,  her 


In  the  Watches  of  the  Night       303 

great,  grave  eyes  looking  out  of  a  pallid, 
passive  face,  watching,  watching,  while  the 
slender  thread  of  mercury  in  the  clinical 
thermometer  climbed  higher  and  higher,  and 
the  dusky  shadows  from  her  little  flickering 
night  lamp  danced  a  solemn  and  stately 
saraband  upon  wall  and  ceiling.  One  hun- 
dred, one  hundred  and  two,  one  hundred  and 
four,  one  hundred  and  five  I  Would  the 
climbing  column  of  mercury  never  stop! 

Boris  came  and  laid  his  great  head  upon 
the  coverlet,  and  looked  long  and  earnestly 
into  the  face  of  his  friend;  then  stretched 
his  keen  nose  towards  the  ceiling,  and  Alice 
bated  her  breath,  and  pressed  her  hands  con- 
vulsively to  her  bosom,  in  terror,  lest  he 
should  give  the  long-drawn  death  howl. 

The  night  wind  moaned  and  sobbed  and 
whimpered  through  one  of  the  partly  opened 
portholes,  speaking  to  her  of  partings  and 
of  the  bitterness  of  death,  until  she  rose  and 
closed  it  to  shut  out  the  doleful  and  depress- 
ing sound. 

Craig,  in  his  ramblings,  carried  her 
through  every  phase  and  incident  of  their 


304  The  Dominant  Chord 

acquaintance,  touching  and  illuminating 
some  of  its  more  obscure  and  incompre- 
hensible phases  with  a  vividness  and  clarity 
impossible  to  a  mind  not  lifted  out  of  itself 
by  some  supreme  crisis. 

Alice's  hospital  training  had  taught  her 
what  to  expect  from  a  man  in  delirium,  and 
she  had  steeled  herself  to  hear  what  no 
woman  should  ever  hear,  least  of  all  from 
the  lips  of  the  man  in  whose  keeping  her 
future  fate  and  happiness  might  some  day 
lie:  but  no  word  came  from  those  parched 
and  feverish  lips  which  could  wound  the  sus- 
ceptibilities of  even  the  most  delicate.  At 
times  he  would  sink  into  long  periods  of 
quiescent  lethargy,  during  which  no  sound 
would  be  heard  but  the  faint  hum  of  the 
gyrostats,  and  the  gentle  lapping  of  the 
waves  against  the  hull.  Then  the  tortured 
brain  would  again  take  up  the  thread  of  its 
vague  and  shadowy  wanderings,  circling 
always  around  the  one  eternal  problem, 
touching  on  it  with  a  delicacy  at  times  al- 
most womanly,  at  others  with  a  fire  and 
vigour  essentially  masculine. 


In  the  Watches  of  the  Night       305 

Once,  after  a  long  period  of  silence,  he 
suddenly  straightened  up  to  the  limits  of  his 
bonds,  and  looking  at  her  gravely,  said,  in 
a  tone  of  profound  and  calm  conviction,  — 
'*  Miss  Huntington,  you  must  marry  me,  you 
really  must,  because  —  the  sine  of  the  angle 
A,  B,  D  is  equal  to  the  square  root  of  A,  C,  B 
over  X,  and  because,  —  but  I  have  forgotten 
the  rest  of  the  formula  —  no,  I  haven 't  —  be- 
cause—  because,  I  love  you!  " 

He  was  quiet  for  a  moment  contemplating 
this  achievement ;  then  he  went  on  slowly :  — 
"  Yes,  I  love  you  more  than  my  life,  more 
than  my  soul,  more  than  anything  or  every- 
thing in  the  universe.  I  love  you  with  every 
throb  of  my  heart  —  with  every  drop  of  my 
blood  —  ' '  He  interrupted  himself  with  a 
wild,  hysterical  outburst  of  laughter  — 
*'  With  every  drop  of  my  blood.  Ha!  ha! 
ha!  I  haven't  any  blood;  Carcharondon 
Carcharias  drank  it  all,  all,  to  the  last  and 
uttermost  drop.  No,"  and  the  voice  sank 
again,  '*  that's  a  lie,  he  didn't;  he  turned 
it  into  fire.  I  can  feel  it  burning  —  burning 
—  burning."     The   trailing  voice   suddenly 


306  The  Dominant  Chord 

took  on  energy  and  insistence.  '*  They're 
catching  us !  They're  catching  us,  I  tell  you  I 
Why  don't  you  do  something?  " 

Towards  morning  he  dropped  ofP  into  a 
troubled  and  intermittent  sleep,  and  Alice, 
after  vainly  striving  to  fight  off  her  weari- 
ness, spread  a  steamer  rug  on  the  floor 
beside  the  cot,  and,  throwing  herself  down 
upon  it,  sank  into  the  oblivion  of  utter  phys- 
ical and  mental  exhaustion. 

For  three  days  Craig  wandered  and  strug- 
gled in  the  tangled  and  shadowy  labyrinths 
of  delirium.  On  the  morning  of  the  fourth, 
as  she  leaned  over  his  pallet,  Alice  saw  the 
light  of  returning  reason  enthroned  in  the 
hollow,  sunken  eyes  which  looked  up  into 
her  own.  For  one  long  moment  he  gazed 
into  that  dark  Madonna-like  face  bending 
over  him,  framed  in  a  wondrous  mass  of 
heavy,  unconfined  tresses,  and  then,  with  a 
groan  which  was  almost  a  sob,  and  which 
seemed  to  be  wrung  from  the  uttermost 
depths  of  his  soul,  that  terrible  cry  of  an- 
guish of  the  strong  spirit  beaten  down,  he 
turned  and  buried  his  face  in  the  pillow. 


CHAPTER   XXV 

THE   STRONGEST   THING 

Ceaig's  convalescence  was  unusnally  slow; 
his  wounds  healed  rapidly,  it  is  true,  and  the 
splendid  vitality  of  his  body  quickly  re- 
turned, but  his  spirit  seemed  unaccountably 
crushed  and  broken.  The  long  mental  strain 
which  he  had  endured  previous  to  the  acci- 
dent had  evidently  left  a  permanent  mark. 
He  seldom  spoke,  confining  himself  when  he 
did  so  to  brief  directions  in  regard  to  the 
management  of  the  yacht. 

Alice  tried  to  draw  him  out  and  arouse  his 
interest,  but  without  avail.  He  accepted  her 
ministrations  with  a  gratitude  which  he 
tried  to  express  by  looks,  but  which  he  never 
put  into  words. 

A  week  after  the  accident  he  was  so  far 
recovered  as  to  be  able  to  leave  his  cot  and 
move  slowly  about  his  cabin,  helping  himself 
307 


308  The  Dominant  Chord 

by  means  of  the  tables  and  chairs.  The  fol- 
lowing morning  Alice  found  him  in  the  chart 
house  contemplating  the  binnacle  with  an 
expression  of  profound  and  melancholy  sat- 
isfaction. Glancing  at  the  compass  card  she 
saw  that  the  steering  arrow  for  the  first  time 
in  many  weeks  was  pointing  north.  A  sud- 
den and  unaccountable  trembling  seized  her. 
To  hide  it  she  crossed  the  room  and  stood 
looking  out  of  one  of  the  windows. 

Alice  felt  that  Craig  should  open  the  con- 
versation, if  there  was  to  be  one,  but  he  said 
nothing.  She  endured  the  silence  as  long  as 
she  could,  and  then,  glancing  over  her  shoul- 
der with  an  assumption  of  indifference, 
said:  **  You  are  feeling  better  this  morn- 
ing.'' 

"  Much  better,  thank  you.'* 

There  was  a  pause. 

"  You  don't  ask  how  7  am  feeling.*' 

*'  It  is  not  necessary.  No  one  could  look 
at  you  and  imagine  you  in  other  than  the 
best  of  health. ' ' 

"  So  you  have  looked  at  me.  One  might 
be  pardoned  for  supposing  that  you  were 


The  Strongest  Thing  309 

entirely  absorbed  in  the  study  of  that  bin- 
nacle. ' ' 

'^  Yes.    I  have  looked  at  you." 

A  pause. 

**  And  you  think  I  look  well?  " 

**  Exceedingly  well." 

Another  pause. 

"  One  might  perhaps  expect  to  feel  a  little 
tired  after  —  after  —  ' ' 

"  Yes.  One  might  expect  to  feel  very 
tired;  in  fact,  one  might  expect  to  feel  — 
almost  anything." 

Alice  stood  nervously  picking  to  pieces  a 
flower  which  she  had  unconsciously  taken 
from  the  holder  in  front  of  the  binnacle. 

*'  Upon  my  word,  Mr.  Craig,  you  are  a 
most  inspiring  companion.  One  would  al- 
most think  you  had  been  appointed  chief 
mourner  at  a  funeral. ' ' 

''I  have." 

''  You  have!    Whose?  " 

"  My  own," 

"  Well,  you  might  at  least  spare  me  all 
these  lugubrious  trappings  of  woe.  I  al- 
ways thought  that  when  a  real  hero  died 


310  The  Dominant  Chord 

he  just  died,  without  saying  anything  about 
it." 

"  Well,  I  haven't  said  anything  about  it  — 
neither  do  I  claim  to  be  what  you  would  call 
a  real  hero." 

"  You  may  not  have  said  anything  about 
it,  but  you  have  looked  it.  One  would  think 
that  after  all  I  have  gone  through  I  might 
expect  to  be  treated  with  a  little  considera- 
tion." 

''  Miss  Huntington,"  interrupted  Craig 
gravely,  **  I  am  not  going  to  try  to  thank 
you  for  what  you  have  done  —  ' ' 

*' You  haven't—" 

"  There  are  some  obligations  so  over- 
whelming, so  crushing,  some  debts  so  vast 
and  unliquidatable  that  the  debtor  feels  at 
once  the  fundamental  impossibility  of  ever 
discharging  them.  Miss  Huntington,  we  are 
headed  north.  We  are  bound  for  New 
York." 

'*  New  York!  "  echoed  Alice  faintly. 
*  *  But  —  why  ?  I  don 't  understand.  I 
thought  you  were  going  to  explore  the  Sar- 
gasso." 


The  Strongest  Thing  311 

**  Fate  has  changed  the  plans.  I  have 
lost.  It  only  remains  for  me  to  pay  the 
penalty.  Ever  since  I  first  beheld  you  I  have 
loved  you,  loved  you  with  all  the  strength 
and  intensity  of  my  nature.  For  three  long 
years  you  have  been  my  inspiration,  my 
ideal,  my  religion.  I  have  carried  your 
image  into  the  fetid  swamps  and  tangled 
forests  of  the  tropics,  over  the  barren  plains 
and  bitter  desolation  of  the  north.  I  have 
sought  success;  I  have  striven  to  achieve, 
only  that  I  might  lay  the  fruits  of  my  vic- 
tories at  your  feet,  that  I  might  be  worthy 
to  stand  before  you  and  look  into  your  eyes. 
When  I  returned  to  New  York  last  fall  and 
learned  that  you  were  engaged  to  the  Duke 
of  Buckminster,  I  was  frantic  with  despair. 
I  could  not  work.  I  could  not  eat.  I  could 
not  sleep.  I  could  not  concentrate  my  mind 
on  anything.  Night  after  night  I  would 
walk  the  streets,  my  brain  in  a  turmoil,  my 
mind  saying  over  and  over  again,  — '  It  can- 
not be ;  it  must  not  be. '  If  your  fiance  had 
been  any  part  of  a  man  I  could  have  borne 
it,  but  that  man,  no!    It  was  too  horrible; 


312  The  Dominant  Chord 

I  knew  him.  It  seemed  like  a  sacrilege,  a 
sacrifice  of  the  mnocents,  and  all  I  could  do 
was  to  wander  up  and  down  in  the  darkness 
before  your  home,  cursing  myself  and  cry- 
ing in  my  soul,  —  *  It  must  not  he  I  * 

"  From  that  condition  in  a  nature  like 
mine  the  transition  to,  —  It  shall  not  be,  is 
short  and  decisive.  My  associates  thought  I 
was  suffering  from  a  nervous  breakdown, 
and  begged  me  to  give  up  and  take  this  trip. 
That  suggested  the  idea  —  the  rest  followed 
with  the  inevitableness  of  fate.  I  felt  that 
if  I  could  get  you  away,  if  I  could  remove 
you  from  the  artificial  environment  in  which 
you  were  placed,  I  could  win  you.  I  see  now 
that  I  was  mistaken ;  I  have  lost,  and  it  only 
remains  for  me  to  pay  the  penalty. ' ' 

**  I  believe  you  said  that  before." 

"  Did  I?  ''  replied  Craig  wearily. 

**  Yes.** 

*'  Well,  repetition  was  unnecessary;  the 
fact  is  sufficiently  obvious." 

*'  So  you  are  taking  me  back  to  New 
York,'*  resumed  Alice  meditatively,  after 
another  long  pause. 


The  Strongest  Thing  313 

''  Yes." 

**  It  will  seem  strange  to  be  back  in  New 
York  again  after  all  these  weeks. ' ' 

Craig  evidently  had  nothing  to  offer  to 
this  last  observation. 

*'  I  wonder  what  they  will  do  to  you  I  " 
she  went  on  in  a  calmly  contemplative  tone. 
**  Do  they  put  such  persons  in  Sing  Sing  or 
Matteawan?  " 

**  I  don't  know.  I  suppose  Matteawan 
would  be  the  more  appropriate." 

*'  It  will  seem  odd  to  think  of  a  man  one 
has  been  compelled  to  associate  with  for 
weeks,  shut  up  in  a  cell  among  convicts,  but 
then  I  suppose  you  can  easily  get  away  in 
the  Sabine/' 

*'  I  have  not  the  slightest  desire  to  do  so. 
What  would  I  want  to  get  away  for?  " 

''  Why,  to  continue  your  work  *  for  the 
good  of  humanity,'  "  replied  Alice  mali- 
ciously. 

She  had  at  last  reduced  her  captor  to  a 
state  of  abject  and  suffering  servitude,  and 
with  the  relentless,  unthinking  cruelty  of  her 
sex  she  intended  to  take  full  advantage  of  it. 


314  The  Dominant  Chord 

'*  I  am  afraid  my  interest  in  the  good  of 
hnmanity  is  not  as  keen  as  it  was.  One  can- 
not strive  for  the  happiness  of  others  if  he  is 
not  happy  himself.'* 

**  At  all  events  you  will  be  better  off  in 
your  ceU  than  I  shall  be.  At  least  you  will 
not  have  to  meet  people.  Everywhere  I  go 
I  shall  feel  myself  the  subject  of  whispered 
conversations  and  curious  glances.  What  a 
choice  morsel  it  will  be  for  the  gossiping 
dowagers  and  sour  chaperones.  I  can  hear 
them  rolling  it  under  their  tongues  now. 
*  Oh,  yes,  she  is  the  Miss  Huntington  that 
was  carried  off  on  a  yacht,  and  do  you  know, 
she  was  gone  over  ten  weeks,  and  Heaven 
only  knows  where  they  were  or  what  they 
were  doing.'  '' 

**  Don't!  "  protested  Craig  whitely. 

*'  Yes,"  went  on  Alice  relentlessly,  *'  I 
shall  have  to  wear  a  sort  of  a  society  bar- 
gain counter  tag,  *  98c.  marked  down  from 
$1.40,  only  slightly  damaged,  almost  as  good 
as  new.'  Perhaps  after  years,  —  after  the 
affair  has  blown  over  and  been  forgotten, 
I  may  find  some  man  who  will  be  willing  to 


The  Strongest  Thing  315 

marry  me  for  my  money,  but  the  whispers 
and  the  wise  looks  will  always  follow  me 
wherever  I  go." 

**  Don't!  Don'tl  "  exclaimed  Craig 
hoarsely,  his  white  face  writhing  with  pain. 

*' Don't!  Why  not?  It's  true  and  you 
know  it.  Oh,  you  men,  you  think  you  suffer ; 
you  don't  know  how  to  suffer.  It  takes  a 
woman  to  suffer,  and  it  takes  a  man  to  show 
her  how.'* 

**  You  are  certainly  showing  me  how." 

**  Oh,  well,  I  fancy  I  shall  stand  it  some- 
how," went  on  Alice,  with  a  resumption  of 
her  indifferent  manner.  **  One  can  live 
down  almost  anything,  you  know  —  in  time." 

She  saw  that  Craig  in  his  weakened  con- 
dition was  on  the  verge  of  a  physical  col- 
lapse, and  while  she  wanted  to  torture  him 
with  the  exquisite  refinement  of  cruelty 
which  a  woman  can  show  only  to  the  man  she 
most  loves,  she  did  not  wish  to  carry  her 
diversion  too  far. 

"What  I  don't  understand, —  "  she  re- 
marked after  a  while,  leading  back  to  the 
attack  along  a  new  line  of  approach,  **  what 


316  The  Dominant  Chord 

I  don't  understand  is,  how  you  could  have 
expected  to  win  any  woman  in  this  way." 

**  I  know  it  was  impossible,  I  can  see  it  all 
now,  and  yet  —  there  have  been  times  when 
—  when  I  thought  that  —  I  had. ' ' 

"You  thought  that  you  had  I  Oh,  most 
modest  of  men!  And  when  was  that, 
pray?  "  She  placed  her  hands  upon  the 
table,  and  leaned  towards  him  provokingly; 
and  Craig,  his  hungry  eyes  devouring  the 
symmetry  and  perfection  of  her,  grew  sick 
with  hopeless,  helpless  despair. 

Suddenly  a  look  of  terror  wiped  the  per- 
verse, provoking  smile  from  her  face,  leav- 
ing it  ashen.  Flying  fingers  clutched  swiftly 
at  the  bosom  of  the  loose  morning  gown  she 
had  been  in  the  habit  of  wearing  during 
Craig's  illness.  Consternation!  Dismay! 
She  had  missed  it!  Her  eyes  grew  big  with 
fright.  Both  hands  delved  wildly,  franti- 
cally, in  the  voluminous  folds  of  her  skirt, 
but  —  too  late.  There  was  a  faint  thud,  as 
of  some  hard  substance  striking  the  deck, 
followed  by  a  tinkling,  metallic  clatter. 

Craig  saw  the  object  and  reached  for  it 


The  Strongest  Thing  317 

under  the  table,  but  Alice  was  before  him. 
She  straightened  up  swiftly,  breathless,  her 
body  thrilling  from  the  momentary  contact 
of  their  fingers.  Against  her  wildly  palpi- 
tating heart  was  pressed  the  signet  of  the 
royal  Isabella,  while  a  bit  of  fine  gold  chain 
with  a  broken  clasp  at  the  end,  dangled  from 
between  her  fingers. 

**  ALICE  I"  Craig's  voice,  vibrant  with 
wonder,  surprise  and  incredulity,  rang  out 
like  the  peal  of  a  Yuletide  bell. 

* '  Alice !  "  In  three  strides  he  had  cir- 
cumnavigated the  table  which  separated 
them,  but  she  had  fled. 

Relentlessly  he  pursued  her  along  the 
deck,  until  at  the  very  stern,  breathless, 
dishevelled,  defiant,  she  turned  and  faced 
him. 

**  You  have  worn  that  ring  all  this  time.'' 

''No." 

''Alice!  " 

"No!  no!  It  is  not  so.  Go  away!  Don't 
touch  me !  ' ' 

"  Alice!  "  commandingly.    "  Tell  me." 

The  strong  arms,  strong  with  the  strength 


318  The  Dominant  Chord 

of  a  supreme  joy,  closed  slowly  around  her. 
Gently,  but  resistlessly,  she  was  drawn  within 
the  circle  of  that  close  embrace,  and  then, 
as  the  last  spark  of  her  dying  resistance  was 
going  out,  the  blackening  embers  blazed  up 
in  one  last  fierce  flame.  Suddenly  the  yield- 
ing, pliant  form  stiffened,  the  dusky,  droop- 
ing head  was  flung  back,  and  in  the  eyes 
which  looked  into  his  the  old  light  of  battle 
flamed.  Pushing  herself  violently  from  him, 
she  cried: 
**NoI  no!  Let  me  go!  I  hate  you! '^ 
But  the  stout  arms  did  not  relax.  The 
gray  eyes,  dancing  with  myriad  lights  of  joy, 
would  not  be  denied.  Slowly  the  brown  ones 
fell  before  them.  Swiftly  the  surging  colour 
mantled  brow  and  cheek.  Like  the  folding 
of  a  gull's  wing  the  tense  young  form  re- 
laxed. The  remainder  of  her  defiance  was 
whispered  into  the  collar  of  his  soft,  flannel 
shirt, 
"  I  hate  you!  —  but  —  I  love  you,  too!  " 
Above  them  arched  a  sky  of  purest  tur- 
quoise; around  them  stretched  the  ocean,  a 
vast  and  flawless  matrix  of  uncut  sapphire, 


The  Strongest  thing  ^id 

and  in  their  hearts  were  resounding  the 
mighty  strains  of  that  old,  old  anthem,  old 
as  the  earth,  imperishable  as  immortality, 
the  wonderful  anthem  of  love. 

And  here,  in  the  dawn  of  earth's  sweetest 
ecstasy,  let  us  leave  them. 

In  all  rich  lives,  lives  that  are  worth  the 
living,  the  dominant  chord  is  love,  and  al- 
ways, always  and  inevitably,  the  strongest 
thing  will  win. 


THE  END. 


From 

L.  C.  Page  &  Company's 

Announcement  List 

of  New  Fiction 


THE  STORY  GIRL 

By  L.  M.  MONTQOMEET. 

cloth,  12mo,  illustrated,  decorative  jacket  .        .        .       $1.50 

To  quote  from  one  of  our  editor's  reports  on  the  new  Mont- 
gomery book  —  "  Miss  Montgomery  has  decidedly  arrived  in  this 
story!  "  The  remarkable  success  of  her  delightful  Anne  books 
and  of  the  charming  "  Kilmeny  of  the  Orchard  "  has  established 
her  as  one  of  America's  leading  authors  —  a  writer  of  books 
which  touch  the  heart,  uplift  the  spirit,  and  leave  an  imprint  of 
lasting  sweetness  on  the  memory.  But  in  "  The  Story  Girl," 
everywhere  the  touch  of  the  finished  artist  is  evident  —  a  smooth- 
ness and  polish  which  heightens  the  unusual  style  of  a  gifted 
author. 

The  environment  is  again  the  author's  beloved  Prince  Edward 
laland  and  the  story  and  incidents  possess  the  same  simplicity 
and  charm  which  characterize  Miss  Montgomery's  earlier  books. 
The  Story  Girl,  herself  —  Sara  Stanley  —  is  a  fascinating 
creature,  and  will  delight  and  thrill  her  readers  with  her  weird 
tales  of  ghosts  "  and  things."  She  tells  in  wondrous  voice  of 
"  The  Mystery  of  the  Golden  Milestone,"  "  How  Kissing  Was 
Discovered,"  and  of  just  how  the  Milky  Way  happened  into  the 
heavens.  She  will  make  you  feel  the  spell  of  the  old  orchard 
where  she  and  her  playmates  spend  such  happy  days,  and  with 
Felix,  Dan  and  Beverly  you  will  live  again  with  her  the  "  trage- 
dies of  childhood." 

Of  Miss  Montgomery's  previous  books,  the  reviewers  have 
written  as  follows: 

_  "  The  art  which  pervades  every  page  is  so  refined  that  the  cul- 
tivated imagination  will  return  to  the  story  again  and  again  in 
memory  to  find  always  something  fresh  to  enjoy."  —  Toronto 
World. 

"  Miss  Montgomery  has  attained  an  honored  place  among  the 
worth-while  writers  of  fiction."  —  Beacon  and  Budget. 

"  Miss  Montgomery  has  a  sympathetic  knowledge  of  human 
nature,  joined  to  high  ideals,  a  reasonably  romantic  view  point 
and  a  distinct  gift  of  description."  —  Chicago  Record-Hertdd. 


Z.  C.  PAGE  6*  COMPAi^Y'S 


A  CAPTAIN  OF  RALEIGH'S 

By  G.  E.  Theodore  Roberts,  author  of  "  A  Cavalier  of  Vip- 

g'nia,"  "  Comrades  of  the  Trails^"  "  Red  Feathers,"  etc 
loth,  12mo,  illustrated,  decorative  jacket 

iVet  $1.25  (carriage,  13c.  extra) 

A  t3T)icaI  Roberts  romance  —  dashing  and  brisk  with  the 
scenes  for  the  most  part  laid  in  the  infant  colony  of  Newfound- 
land, at  the  time  when  Sir  Walter  Raleigh  and  other  famous 
captains  swept  the  seas  for  England.  Sir  Walter  is  one  of  the 
characters  in  the  romance  but  the  chief  interest  centres  about  one 
of  his  officers,  Captain  John  Percy. 

Elizabeth  Duwaney,  the  herome.  is  beautiful  and  vivacious 
enough  to  quite  turn  the  heads  of  tne  several  gallant  gentlemen 
who  struggle  for  her  band,  and  to  keep  the  reader  guessing  until 
the  very  last  page  as  to  wnich  suitor  will  find  favor  in  her  eyes. 
Unusual  and  unexpected  situations  in  the  plot  are  handled  skil- 
fully and  you  close  the  book  agreeing  with  our  editor  that  "  Mr. 
Roberts  has  given  us  another  capital  yam!  " 

"  Mr.  Roberts  has  undoubted  skill  in  portraying  character 
and  carrying  events  along  to  a  satisfactory  conclusion."  — 
The  Smart  Set. 

"  One  can  always  predict  of  a  book  by  Mr.  Roberts  that  it 
will  be  interesting.  One  can  go  further  and  predict  that  the  book 
will  be  fascinating,  exciting  and  thrilling."  —  BostonjGlobe. 

A  SOLDIER  OF  VALLEY  FORGE 

By  Robert  Neilson  Stephens,  author  of  "  An  Enemy  to  the 
iTmg,"  "Philip  Winwood,"  etc.,  and  G.  E.  Thbodorb 
Roberts,  author  of  "  Hemming,  the  Adventurer,"  "  Red 
Feathers,"  etc. 

12mo,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated  .  _ .  .  .11.50 
The  many  admirers  of  the  brilliant  historical  romances  of  the 
late  Robert  Neilson  Stephens  will  be  gratified  at  the  announce- 
ment of  a  posthumous  work  by  that  gifted  writer.  The  rough 
draft  of  the  story  was  laid  aside  for  other  work,  and  later,  with- 
out completing  the  novel,  the  plot  was  utilized  for  a  play.  With 
the  play  completed  Mr.  Stephens  again  tinned  his  attention  to 
the  novel,  but  death  prevented  its  completion.  Mr.  Roberts  has 
handled  his  difficult  task  of  completing  the  work  with  care  and 
skill. 

The  story,  like  that  of  "  The  Continental  Dragoon,"  takes  as 
its  theme  an  incident  in  the  Revolution,  and,  as  in  the  earKer 
novel,  the  scene  is  the  "  debatable  ground  "  north  of  New  York. 
In  interest  of  plot  and  originality  of  development  it  is  as  re- 
markable as  the  earlier  work,  but  it  is  mote  mature,  more  forc^ 
ful,  moTQ  real. 


LIST  OF  NEW  FICTION 


THE  DILEMMA  OF  ENGELTIE 

Bv  Emma  Ra.yner,  author  of  "  Free  to  Serve,"  etc. 

Cloth,  12mo,  illustrated.  iVei  $1.35  (carriage,  12c.  extra) 

Given  a  wedding  irrevocably  decreed,  the  date  of  the  actual 
ceremony  somewhere  on  the  limits  of  a  fortnight  ahead;  given 
a  bride  but  not  a  groom,  a  maid  of  the  old  Dutch  New  York  days, 
pretty  enough  to  turn  men's  heads  for  her  beauty  alone,  well 
dowered  enough  to  be  one  of  the  prizes  of  the  decade;  the  wedding 
festivities,  merrymakings  these  Dutch  colonial  worthies  loved 
to  give  to  prospective  brides  and  grooms,  in  full  swing;  half  a 
dozen  young  Dutchmen  with  hands  outstretched  ready  to  grasp 
the  prize  and  reciprocate  the  maiden's  vows  would  she  but  nod 
their  way;  the  wading  itself  as  sure  as  fate  or  death;  the  bride 
upon  the  scene,  receiving  the  honors  of  the  occasion  —  alone; 
the  bridegroom  an  unknown  quantity;  the  days  racing  by  in 
mirth  and  festivity  and  the  wedding  daily  drawing  nearer; 
problem  —  find  the  bridegroom! 

The  setting  for  this  unusual  situation  is  quaint  New  Nether- 
lands, in  1702,  shortly  after  England  had  succeeded  in  wresting 
from  Holland  her  prosperous  colony  in  the  New  World.  The 
sharp  contrast  between  the  primitive  conditions  of  the  neigh- 
boring settlements  and  the  comparative  luxiuy  of  the  town  is 
well  portrayed,  and  forms  an  everchanging  background  to  a 
tale  of  unusual  excellence  both  in  the  conception  and  in  the 
development  of  its  novel  plot. 

iVeu)  edition  {Tenth  Printing)  of 

FREE  TO  SERVE 

Bv  Emma  Ratneb.    The  novel  that  made  the  author  famous. 

Cloth,  12mo,  with  a  frontispiece  in  full  color  by  George  Gibbs. 

$1.60 

"  After  reading  Emma  Rayner's  tale  of  Colonial  New  York, 
'  Free  to  Serve,'  what  has  impressed  one  the  most  is  its  vividness 
of  atmosphere.  The  spirit  of  the  early  eighteenth  century  has 
been  caught  to  perfection,  and  transferred  to  every  page.  One 
lives  in  a  picturesque  past,  and  thinks  not  of  the  complicated 
world  of  to-day,  save  as  the  impulses  and  motives  animating 
human  beings  are  the  same  now  as  then."  —  Boston  Times. 

"  To  the  charm  of  a  story  well  conceived  and  cleverly  told  is 
added  the  interest  of  characters  that  until  now  have  been  unusual 
in  preeent-day  fiction."  —  New  York  Press. 

"  In  '  Free  to  Serve '  we  have  a  book  that  rises  from  out  of 
the  dull  monotony  of  mediocrity  and  amply  deserves  C(»aidef»- 
tion."  —  The  Philadelphia  American. 


L.  C.  PAGE  <&•  COMPANY'S 


THE  CHRONICLES  OF  MADELYN  MACK 

By  Hugh  C.  Weik. 

Cloth,  12mo,  illustrated  .       .       .     '".       .       .  $1.50 

Lovers  of  rapid  action,  ingenious  situations  and  excitement 

will  find  abundant  entertainment  in  following  the  adventures 

and  career  of  Madelyn  Mack  —  a  veritable  wizard  at  her  trade 

—  the  heroine  of  this  clever  and  straightforward  detective  novel. 
Her  career  is  brimful  of  excitement,  one  continuous  series  of 
adventures,  which  constitute  a  tale  of  swift  and  dramatic  action. 
Clever  in  plot  and  effective  in  style,  the  author  has  seized  on 
some  of  the  most  sensational  features  of  modem  life,  and  the 
reader  who  haa  a  grain  of  fancy  or  imagination  may  be  defied 
to  lay  this  book  down  once  he  has  begim  it  until  the  last  wokI  is 
reached. 

MISS  BILLY 

By  Elbanob  H.  Porteb. 

Cloth,  12mo,  illustrated.  'Net  $1.25  (carriage,  12c.  extra) 

"  Billy,"  in  this  instance,  is  the  name  of  a  very  dainty  and 
pretty  girl  with  pink  cheeks  and  a  wealth  of  curly  hair  and  the 
sweetest  of  smiles.  When  you  first  meet  her  in  the  stoiy  she  is 
all  that  her  name  implies  —  an  impulsive,  warm-hearted  girl  of 
eighteen  who  quite  unknowingly  succeeds  in  completely  upsetting 
the  quiet  and  dignity  of  the  Beacon  Street  household  of  the  three 
Henshaw  boys,  who  had  hitherto  hved  an  imeventful  life  in 
"  The  Strata,"  as  the  old  Boston  mansion  was  fittingly  termed 
by  Bertram,  the  yoimgest  of  the  brothers.  But  Billy  grows  up. 
and  almost  before  she  herself  realizes  it  a  romance  has  entered 
her  life  —  one  of  those  charming  and  refreshing  romances  which 
strike  a  sympathetic  chord  in  the  hearts  of  its  readers  and  bring 
back  fond  memories  of  "  the  glamour  and  joys  of  youth." 

THE  RED  FOX'S  SON 

By  Edgab  M.  DiLiiEY. 

Cloth,  12mo.   With  a  frontispiece  in  color  by  John  Goss    $1 .50 

Pictiu*e8que  Bharbazonia  —  a  province  of  the  Balkan  peninsula 

—  is  the  setting  for  this  sparkling  "  Zenda  "  novel,  which  quite 
surpasses  the  regulation  story  of  modem  mystery  and  adventure, 
when  the  dashmg  yoimg  American  goes  to  the  mythical,  but 
interesting  Balkan  State,  and  creates  havoc  in  the  hearts  of  the 
Slavs,  hiroself  becoming  a  slave  to  the  beautiful  princess  of  the 
country.  It  is  a  romance  rich  in  exciting  detail,  and  has  glamour, 
dash,  vivacity  and  spirit  of  the  most  pleasing  order.  In  every 
I>age  of  "The  Red  Fox's  Son  "  the  fiction  lover  will  find  faaeinar 
ting  reading. 


LIST  OF  NEW  FICTION 


GEORGE  THORNE 

By  NoRVAL  Richardson,  author  of  the  big  Southern  novel  — 

"  The  Lead  of  Honour,"  akeady  in  its  sixth  large  printing. 

Frontispiece  in  full  color,  decorative  jacket,  cloth,  12mo. 

Net  $1.25  (carriage,  12c.  extra) 

Mr.  Richardson's  new  story  is  striking  in  thought  and  treat- 
ment. Taking  a  man  from  the  rubbish  heap  of  poverty,  the 
author  places  him  in  surroundings  of  wealth  and  refinement,  and 
then  traces  the  effect  of  the  new  influences  upon  his  character. 

Of  "  The  Lead  of  Honoiu"  "  the  critics  have  written  aa  follows: 

"  '  The  Lead  of  Honour '  cannot  but  make  those  who  read  it 
better  pleased  with  life  and  with  humanity  (the  which  is  much)." 
—  Chicago  Inter-Ocean. 

"  Mr.  Richardson  has  given  us  a  story  which  is  weU  worth 
the  perusal."  —  Boston  Transcript. 

"  A  story  of  much  more  than  usual  merit.  It  is  seldom  that 
one  turns  away  from  a  work  of  fiction  with  more  reluctance  to 
part  company  with  its  people  and  with  a  greater  impetus  towards 
one's  own  best."  —  Boston  Herald. 

"  It  is  rarely  that  a  love  story  is  written  in  these  days  that  has 
in  it  so  much  of  pure  and  lofty  sentiment,  of  so  high  ideals  and 
so  absorbing  in  its  romance  that  the  reader  for  the  time  is  lifted 
out  of  himself.  It  is  a  novel  which  really  stands  on  a  pinnacle 
as  contrasted  with  much  of  the  current  fiction  of  the  day."  — 
Springfield  Union. 

"  Mr.  Richardson  has  an  excellent  style,  a  gift  of  character- 
drawing  and  much  emotional  power."  —  Providence  Journal. 

DIONIS  OF  THE  WHITE  VEIL 

By  Caroline  Brown,  author  of  "  Benights  of  Fustian,"  "  On 

the  We-A  Trail,"  etc. 

Cloth,  12mo,  illustrated,  decorative  jacket  .       .  $1.50 

A  romance  of  the  early  days  of  the  eighteenth  century,  with 
the  scenes  for  the  most  part  laid  in  the  region  bordering  the 
Mississippi,  from  Louisiana  north  towards  the  Illinois  country. 

When  the  gay  and  handsome  Chevalier  Fauchet  first  sets  eyes 
upon  the  heroine,  Dionis  Montfort,  she  has  entered  upon  her 
novitiate,  and  is  to  take  the  vows  of  a  nun  in  less  than  a  week's 
time.  Fauchet,  a  universal  lover,  gallant  always,  serious  never, 
is  attracted  by  the  demure  and  innocent  novice,  at  first  because 
of  her  beauty;  but  later  when  he  realizes  that  it  is  real  affection 
he  feels  for  the  girl,  the  Chevalier  determines  that  the  Church 
must  fight  him  for  her  life's  devotion.  How  fate  throws  the 
two  together,  allowing  love  finally  to  triumph  over  the  Church, 
makes  a  romance  remaj:kable  in  its  consistent  and  absorbing 
chsom. 


Z.    C.  PAGE  <&•   CO  MP  ANY* S 


THE   CASE  OF  PAUL   BREEN 

By  Anthony  Tudob,  LL.B. 

Cloth,  12mo,  illustrated  by  Henry  Roth,  decorative  jacket. 

$1.50 

A  positive,  strong  human  novel,  the  story  of  an  innocent  man 
caught  in  the  legal  meshes  of  circumstantial  evidence.  The 
plot  is  new  and  its  development  most  striking,  while  the  story 
is  handled  throughout  in  masterly  and  dignified  fashion  by  a 
writer  whose  style  is  at  all  times  convincing  and  forceful.  He 
has  had  the  courage  to  go  right  to  the  heart  of  things,  and  bare 
for  his  readers'  gaze  the  very  souls  of  his  characters.  It  is  a 
powerful  work  —  one  which  will  probably  be  called  a  "  bold 
novel,"  and  not  only  is  it  of  intense  interest,  but  it  is  a  story 
which  furnishes  much  food  for  thought. 

THE  RED-HOT  DOLLAR 

By  H.  D.  UMB3TABTTEB. 

Cloth  decorative f  1.00 

For  three  reasons  this  Uttle  book  will  arouse  interest.  First, 
because  of  the  stories  themselves,  next,  because  their  author, 
H.  D.  Umbstaetter,  is  the  founder  and  publisher  of  The,  Black 
Cat,  which,  to  quote  the  New  York  Tritmne,  "  has  done  more  for 
short-story  readers  and  short-story  writers  than  any  other 
j)eriodical,"  and  last,  but  not  least,  because  of  the  imique  intro- 
duction by  Jack  London.  Only  once  in  a  long  time  do  we  come 
across  such  a  unique  collection  of  stories  as  Mr.  Umbstaetter's, 
containing  as  it  does  stories  that  are  clever  in  conception,  well- 
written  and  just  the  right  length  to  be  entertaining,  and  as  Mr. 
London  aptly  says,  stories  that  are  true  Black  Cat  stories. 

The  stories,  twelve  in  all,  are  so  absorbingly  interesting  and  so 
unusual  in  the  realm  of  fiction,  embodying  as  they  do  amusing 
character  sketches,  tales  of  humor,  pathos,  mystery  and  adven- 
ture, that  they  will  undoubtedly  appeal  to  a  large  class  of  readers 
who  are  not  attracted  to  the  ordinary  in  fiction. 


Selections  from 
L.  C.  Page  and  Company's 
List  of  Fiction 


WORKS  OF 

ROBERT  NEILSON  STEPHENS 

Each  one  vol.,  library  12mo,  doth  decorative         .        c      $1.50 

THE  FLIGHT  OF  GEORGIANA 

A  Romance  of  the  Days  of  the  YotJNa  Pretendbb.  Illus- 
trated by  H.  C.  Edwards. 

"  A  love-stoiy  in  the  highest  degree,  a  dashing  story,  and  a  re- 
markably well  finished  piece  of  work."  —  Chicago  Record-Herald. 

THE  BRIGHT  FACE  OF  DANGER 

Being  an  account  of  some  adventures  of  Henri  de  Launay,  son 
of  the  Sieur  de  la  Toumoire.  Illustrated  by  H.  C.  Edwards. 
"  Mr.  Stephens  has  fairly  outdone  himself.     We  thank  him 

heartily.    The  story  is  nothing  if  not  spirited  and  entertaining, 

rational  and  convincing."  —  Boston  Transcript. 

THE  MYSTERY  OF  MURRAY  DAVENPORT 

(40th  thousand.) 

"  This  is  easily  the  best  thing  that  Mr.  Stephens  has  yet  done. 
Those  familiar  with  his  other  novels  can  best  judge  the  measure 
of  this  praise,  which  is  generous."  —  Buffalo  News. 

CAPTAIN  RAVENSHAW 

Ob,  The  Maid  of  Cheapside.  (52d  thoiisand.)  A  romanpe 
of  Elizabethan  London.  Elustrations  by  Howard  Pyle  and 
other  artists. 

Not  since  the  absorbing  adventures  of  D'Artagnan  have  we  had 
anything  so  good  in  the  blended  vein  of  romance  and  comedy. 

THE  CONTINENTAL  DRAGOON 

A   Romance   op  Philipse   Manor   House   in   1778.     (53d 
thousand.)    Illustrated  by  H.  C.  Edwards. 
A  stirring  romADce  of  the  Ee^iolution,  wMi  ite  scenes  laid  on 
D0iitral  torntory. 


Z.    C.  PAGE   &>   COMPANY'S 


PHILIP  wmwooD 

(70th  thousand.)  A  Sketch  of  the  Domestic  History  of  an 
American  Captain  in  the  War  of  Independence,  embracing 
events  that  occurred  between  and  during  the  years  1763  and 
1785  in  New  York  and  London.  Illustrated  by  E.  W.  D. 
Hamilton. 

AN  ENEMY  TO  THE  KING 

(70th  thousand.)  From  the  "  Recently  Discovered  Memoirs 
of  the  Sieur  de  la  Toumoire."  Illustrated  by  H.  De  M.  Young. 
An  historical  romance  of  the  sixteenth  century,  describing  the 

adventures  of  a  young  French  nobleman  at  the  court  of  Henry 

III.,  and  on  the  field  with  Henry  IV. 

THE  ROAD  TO  PARIS 

A  Stoky  op  Adventure.  (35th  thousand.)  Illustrated  by 
H.  C.  Edwards. 

An  historical  romance  of  the  eighteenth  century,  being  an 
account  of  the  life  of  an  American  gentleman  adventurer. 

A  GENTLEMAN  PLAYER 

His  Adventures  on  a  Secret  Mission  for  Queen  Eliza- 
beth.    (48th  thousand.)     Illustrated  by  Frank  T.  Merrill. 
The  story  of  a  young  gentleman  who  joins  Shakespeare's 
company  of  players,  and  becomes  a  prot6g6  of  the  great  poet. 

CLEMENTINA'S  HIGHWAYMAN 

Cloth  decorative,  illustrated $1 .  50 

The  story  is  laid  in  the  mid-Georgian  period.  It  is  a  dashing, 
sparkling,  vivacious  comedy,  with  a  heroine  as  lovely  and 
changeable  as  an  April  day,  and  a  hero  all  ardor  and  daring. 

TALES  FROM  BOHEMIA 

Illustrated  by  Wallace  Goldsmith. 

Cloth,  decorative  cover $1.50 

These  bright  and  clever  tales  deal  with  people  of  the  theatre 
and  odd  characters  in  other  walks  of  life  which  fringe  on  Bo- 
hemia. 

A   SOLDIER   OF  VALLEY  FORGE 

By  Robert  Neilson  Stephens  and  Theodore  Goodridoe 
Roberts. 

Cloth  decorative,  with  frontispiece  in  full  color  from  a  paint- 
ing by  Frank  T.  Merrill $1.50 

"  The  plot  shows  invention  and  is  developed  with  originality, 
and  there  is  incident  in  abundance."  —  Brooklyn  Times. 


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